Nvidia Drives Global Equity Rally Amid Jackson Hole Watch

Equity markets in Asia and Europe advanced broadly on Friday, building on Thursday’s upward momentum in U.S. stocks — a rally spearheaded by chipmaker Nvidia and broader technology companies.

The German DAX index opened trading up 0.6% to 26,523.10 points. France’s CAC 40 gained 1.1%, closing at 8,408.72 points. The UK’s FTSE 100 edged higher by 0.2%, reaching 10,815.07 points.

In U.S. futures trading, the S&P 500 dipped 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%.

Among Asian benchmarks, South Korea’s KOSPI posted the steepest decline, falling 1.8% to 6,788.88 points. Japan’s Nikkei 225 climbed 0.4% to 66,405.56 points. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose 0.2%, settling at 25,584.79 points.

China’s Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.1% to 3,952.18 points. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.6%, ending at 9,092.30 points.

Taiwan’s TAIEX rose 0.8%. India’s SENSEX gained 0.2%.

Markets await Powell’s Jackson Hole address

Investors are closely watching for remarks by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole symposium for central bank officials later today. Market participants expect his speech to serve as the primary catalyst for near-term price action.

Oil prices retreat after prior gains

In energy markets, Brent crude — the global oil benchmark — fell 0.4% to $88.13 per barrel at the start of trading, following a 1.8% rise the previous day. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped 0.6% to $83.08 per barrel.