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Japan's Nikkei hits record high after Nvidia beat, rest of Asia soft

Japan's Nikkei share average topped its alltime peak on Thursday, after all of a sudden strong revenue projections from U.S. chip designer Nvidia raised Asian tech stocks.

Nevertheless, the regional mood was tempered by the battle in Chinese stock exchange to extend multi-month highs reached in the middle of Beijing's stimulus efforts.

Long-lasting U.S. bond yields hugged three-month highs while the dollar drooped after minutes from the last Federal Open Market Committee conference confirmed the view that rates of interest cuts would be sluggish in coming, but weren't noticeably more hawkish than the Fed's previously revealed views.

The Nikkei 225 share average rose as much as 2% to reach 39,029.00, topping the previous all-time high of 38,957.44, set on Dec. 29, 1989, at the peak of the so-called bubble economy.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan increased 0.29%, helped by a 0.69% increase for Taiwan's. stock benchmark.

The Hang Seng was 0.17%, recovering from earlier. losses, to put the Hong Kong standard on course to extend a. seven-day winning run.

Mainland blue chips were last up 0.29%, after. oscillating throughout the session between little gains and. losses.

U.S. stock index futures indicated solid gains, following a. combined session on Wednesday for the primary standards. S&P 500. futures rallied 0.7% and tech-focused Nasdaq futures. leapt 1.4%.

Following the closing bell overnight, Nvidia forecast a. approximately 233% rise in quarterly revenue, sending its shares up. some 10% after-hours.

The Nikkei has actually jumped about 16.5% currently this year, with. the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rallying some 5% each, driven in large. part by mammoth expectations for expert system (AI),. with Nvidia's chips at the centre of that boom.

Nvidia's revenues beat enhanced sentiment and reduced issues. over extended evaluations, supplying room for the AI style to. continue to drive markets, Saxo Markets experts composed in a. research study note.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield eased slightly in Asian time. on Thursday to 4.3009%, however remained near to the 4.332% level. marked a week earlier, which had not been seen given that completion of. November.

The bulk of policymakers at the U.S. Federal Reserve's last. meeting in January were concerned about the dangers of cutting. interest rates prematurely, with broad unpredictability about the length of time. borrowing expenses must remain at their current level, minutes. released on Wednesday revealed.

That strengthened the view amongst traders that any rate cut is. not imminent, with market prices suggesting one-in-three odds. for a very first decrease in May, according to CME Group's FedWatch. Tool.

The dollar continued to retreat from a three-month high. reached recently, when the U.S. dollar index, which. tracks the currency versus six significant peers, reached 104.97. It. was down slightly at 103.96 in early trading on Thursday.

The euro ticked slightly greater to $1.0823,. whereas the yen edged down to 150.41 per dollar.

In other places, oil rates rose a little, contributing to gains from. the previous session that came in the middle of indications of tighter supply.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) CLc1 increased. 17 cents to $78.08 a barrel for the timely month. The May. contract gained 14 cents to $77.45 a barrel.

Brent crude for April delivery ticked up 14 cents to. $ 83.17 a barrel, while the May contract added 13 cents to $82.24. a barrel.

Oil prices rose 1% on Wednesday, with refinery restarts in. the United States supporting need after a series of interruptions. previously cut U.S. refinery utilisation rates to the lowest level. in 2 years.

(source: Reuters)