Asian shares mostly gain after upbeat results for Nvidia and others lift US stocks

Shares in Asia rose on Friday following an upward trend on Wall Street, driven by Nvidia and other technology stocks. South Korea's Kospi fell 1% to 6,841.50, but most other regional markets experienced moderate gains. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo increased by 0.8% to 66,682.88, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 0.3% to 25,648.40. The Shanghai Composite index remained nearly unchanged at 3,956.28.

Australian stocks, the S&P/ASX 200, gained 0.3% to 9,063.50. A significant event awaiting market attention is the upcoming speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who has been cautious about providing guidance on U.S. policy. Oil prices experienced volatility due to uncertainty surrounding the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude falling 0.3% to $88.24 per barrel on Friday.

U.S. benchmark crude oil also declined 0.4% to $83.17 per barrel. The S&P 500 closed at a record high, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.6%. Nvidia, the leading contributor to the market's rise, surged 8.7% after surpassing profit and revenue expectations for the latest quarter, alongside anticipating robust revenue growth.

Salesforce experienced a 22.6% gain, marking its best day in six years, following strong AI-driven quarter results and an expanded partnership with Anthropic's Claude chatbot. However, other major tech companies saw mixed performance, with many S&P 500 stocks declining. Best Buy and other retailers faced challenges due to persisting concerns about inflation and economic sentiment.

Despite these obstacles, some companies like Dollar General benefited from high inflation, with its profit exceeding expectations. The bond market saw Treasury yields rise after an unemployment benefit applications report indicated a resilient U.S. job market. The U.S. dollar strengthened against the Japanese yen and remained stable against the euro.