On Thursday, optimism spread through Asia-Pacific markets following Nvidia’s impressive quarterly earnings and positive forecast, which bolstered confidence in the AI sector and the wider market.
Nvidia’s fiscal third-quarter results beat revenue and earnings estimates, lifting its shares by over 4% after hours. CEO Jensen Huang said demand for the latest Blackwell AI chips is “off the charts,” supporting a strong sales outlook for the next quarter.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 3.7%, led by semiconductor stocks such as SoftBank, Tokyo Electron, Lasertec, and Renesas Electron, which all recorded notable gains. Yields on long-term Japanese government bonds also rose, touching levels not seen in years.
South Korea’s Kospi and Kosdaq indices gained 2.63% and 1.75%, respectively, as major memory chip producers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics advanced significantly. Australia’s ASX/S&P 200 climbed 1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng futures showed a slight dip.
U.S. futures rose during early Asian sessions, buoyed by Nvidia’s upbeat guidance after concerns about tech valuations and debt affected recent trading.
“Nvidia’s numbers remain extremely strong now, but there are inevitably questions whether Huang’s company has already reached its high-water mark in terms of growth and market share,” David Russell of TradeStation said.
Nvidia posted revenue of around $57 billion, a 62% rise year on year, with earnings per share of $1.30 exceeding analyst expectations. The company’s robust data-centre sales drove profits up by 65% to $31.9 billion, affirming strong demand for AI infrastructure.
The strong earnings and forward guidance have eased fears about the AI investment bubble and semiconductor price pressures, restoring enthusiasm for tech stocks across global markets.