Global stock markets rise on optimism about AI-driven tech companies

Global stock markets rose as investors showed confidence in the prospects of technology companies leading the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, Al Jazeera English reported.

In the United States, the Nasdaq Composite led gains with a 1.18% increase, supported by rises in major tech stocks including Tesla, Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also saw gains.

Nvidia, the world's most valuable public company, increased nearly 1% after announcing a $3 billion investment in Meta's equity offering. Other semiconductor companies such as Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom, and Intel also experienced notable gains.

Asian markets continued the upward trend with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia all reporting increases. South Korea's KOSPI surged 5.84%, driven by SK Hynix's strong third-quarter results showing a 630% year-on-year rise in operating profit to approximately $62.8 billion.

Investors are closely watching upcoming earnings reports from major tech companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple to assess the returns on their AI investments. Additionally, AI firm Anthropic filed for an initial public offering despite reporting a significant net loss in early 2026.