Stock indexes gain as Nvidia boost offsets caution on Fed event

On Thursday, MSCI's global equities gauge rose as Nvidia's optimistic outlook strengthened technology shares, while U.S. Treasury yields increased ahead of a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. The U.S. dollar remained stable as traders shifted their attention to Warsh's upcoming appearance at the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium, where they hope to gain insights into interest rate policy.

The S&P 500 technology sector saw a 3.4% rally, becoming the only gainer among the index's 11 major sectors. Technology stocks also experienced a surge in Europe, after AI chip leader Nvidia projected a 70% revenue growth for its fiscal year ending in January 2028. Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Services, remarked that Nvidia's results and executive commentary addressed many questions investors had regarding the AI boom.

AI is here to stay, Ewing stated, adding that it will continue to grow and compound at an increasing rate. Manulife John Hancock Investments' co-chief investment strategist, Matt Miskin, described Nvidia's report as "the icing on the cake of one of the best earnings seasons in corporate American history." Miskin added that strong AI fundamentals and robust forward guidance are drawing traders back to the tech sector after they had rotated away.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 105.56 points, or 0.20%, to 53,569.44, while the S&P 500 gained 55.29 points, or 0.72%, to 7,730.99, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 411.16 points, or 1.57%, to 26,541.35. MSCI's global equities gauge increased by 4.77 points, or 0.41%, to 1,154.70.

Earlier, the pan-European STOXX 600 index ended down 0.69%, with concerns over France's political landscape driving the CAC 40 blue-chip index in Paris down 1.7% after reaching its lowest level since July 24. Growing worries over U.S. crude oil supply concerns led to a 1.58% rise in U.S. crude, settling at $83.53 per barrel, and a 2.12% increase in Brent crude, reaching $89.70 per barrel. Investors were wary of the impact of supply dynamics on oil prices and the resulting volatility in their portfolios.