Stocks hitch a ride higher with Nvidia; investors mull rate outlook

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange after jumping to a new record in Frankfurt, Germany, March 13, 2024. REUTERS/Staff/File Photo

By Amanda Cooper

LONDON (Reuters) -Global shares edged up on Thursday after results from AI poster-child Nvidia ignited a rally across tech stocks, although the prospect that interest rates could stay higher for longer than many had expected tempered some investor optimism.

The dollar was set for its best weekly performance since early April, after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting on Wednesday reflected rate-setters' belief that it will take longer than previously thought for inflation to return to the central bank's 2% target.

Nvidia shares rose nearly 7% in premarket trading. The AI darling forecast quarterly revenue above estimates after the bell on Wednesday, which lifted shares in other AI-linked companies such as ASML Infineon and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

The MSCI All-World index edged into positive territory, helped by a rally in European stocks, where technology shares outperformed the broader STOXX 600, which rose 0.4%.

The prospect of a tougher Fed, a warmer-than-expected UK inflation print and a sobering assessment of New Zealand's inflation problems from the country's central bank have caused investors to pare back their expectations for the pace and scale of global rate cuts expected this year.

A man watches stock quotations on an electronic board outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo

"One thing that's interesting from the last 24 hours that can be taken away is still the uncertainty from central banks about policy settings and at what levels interest rates have to be at, and where they need to potentially stay at, in order to tame inflation," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at Capital.com.

"That's causing uncertainty from a policy point of view, but it's obviously also causing uncertainty from a market point of view."

NVIDIA KEEPS ON ROLLING

S&P 500 futures rose 0.6%, while Nasdaq futures gained 1%, thanks in part to the rally in Nvidia, which has already risen by 200% since this point last year.

"Nvidia had great figures, but really it is a very narrow market now and you are exposed to one sector, and we see from history that being exposed just to one sector is a big risk," said Pascal Koeppel, chief investment officer of Vontobel Swiss Financial Advisers.

"We have seen that with many sectors, oil, banks before 2008," he said, "As an investor you should diversify a little bit."

Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions were not far from investors' minds as China's military started two days of "punishment" drills held in five areas around Taiwan just days after new Taiwan President Lai Ching-te took office.

That sent Chinese blue chips falling 0.9%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index similarly slid 1.4%.

In Britain, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised both markets and other lawmakers on Wednesday by calling a national election for July 4.

The pound, which hit two-month highs after data on Wednesday showed inflation in Britain slowing less than expected, was last up 0.1% at $1.2726. Investors have taken an axe to their bets that the Bank of England will cut rates next month, to around 10% from 50%.

The euro got a boost from a survey that showed German business activity grew for a second straight month in May, underpinning confidence that the euro zone's largest economy could be turning a corner. It was last up 0.2% at $1.084.

The New Zealand dollar held near two-month highs around $0.61265 after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand wrongfooted markets on Wednesday by warning cuts were unlikely until far into 2025.

The yen held steady on the day at 156.71 per dollar, having that touched its lowest in over three weeks earlier on.

In commodities, gold fell 0.4% to $2,368 an ounce, but was still within sight of Monday's record high of $2,449.89.

Oil prices rose, with Brent crude futures up 0.8% at $82.53 a barrel.

(Additional reporting by Marc Jones in London and Rae Wee in Singapore; Editing by Sam Holmes, Gareth Jones and Toby Chopra)