Nvidia, Kospi, Nikkei 225, Hang Seng Index
South Korea’s central bank raised its key interest rate by a quarter-percentage point as expected on Thursday, in a bid to contain inflation and prevent capital outflows as the U.S. Federal Reserve gears up for more hikes.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit another record Thursday as Asia-Pacific markets climbed, tracking Wall Street gains as technology stocks rose overnight.
The Nikkei 225 rose 1.1% to an all-time high of 59,199. 31, while the Topix added 1.45%.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.65%, while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 0.57%.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8%, also hitting a record high in early trade.
Hong Kong Hang Seng index futures last traded at 26,947, higher than the HSI’s Wednesday close of 26,765.72.
The Bank of Korea is set to release its rate decision later in the day. South Korea’s central bank is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, according to economists polled by Reuters.
South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix rose 1.97% and 2.26%, respectively.
Overnight in the U.S., equities rose, supported by Nvidia and Oracle, as stocks built on the gains from the prior trading day.
The S&P 500 added 0.81% to close at 6,946.13, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.26% to 23,152.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 307.65 points, or 0.63%, to settle at 49,482.15.
Nvidia posted fiscal fourth-quarter results that topped Wall Street expectations, fueled by a 75% surge in revenue from its core data center segment. Shares gained as much as 2% in extended trading following the release.
The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.62, beating the $1.53 forecast from analysts surveyed by LSEG. Revenue totaled $68.13 billion, above estimates of $66.21 billion.
—CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
