European shares climbed on Thursday, as a relief rally swept through global markets after artificial intelligence (AI) bellwether Nvidia reported strong earnings, while investors awaited the release of delayed U.S. jobs data.
The pan-European STOXX 600, was up 0.7% at 565.85 points as of 0938 GMT.
Bourses in Germany and France, also rose about 0.8% each.
Chip designer Nvidia's blowout quarterly results and positive outlook come at a crucial time for investors, who have been rattled in recent weeks by fears of an AI bubble.
Nvidia's results temporarily eased investor anxiety, with the company's shares rising 5.5% in U.S. premarket trading.
"The strong results do not erase AI bubble fears, but rather push them below the surface, offering a brief reprieve for markets," said Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com.
The rebound among chipmakers was further fuelled by reports that the U.S. may delay its planned 100% tariffs on semiconductor imports to ease tensions with China.
The European tech index climbed 1.2%, with Infineon and ASML gaining about 2% each.
AI equipment makers that have benefited from the technology boom, such as Schneider Electric and Siemens Energy were up 2% and 4%, respectively.
Europe's defence index was up 2.1%, having slid nearly 3% on Wednesday on signs of a fresh U.S.-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
On the financials side, European banking stocks were among the biggest gainer on the index, up more than 1.3% each.
"At a time where there is so much focus and emphasis placed on the tech sector, financials and banks have been steadily creeping up in the shadows," Hathorn said.
BNP Paribas gained 5.7% after the French bank raised its CET1 ratio target, a gauge of financial stability, to 13% by 2027.
Later in the day, the focus will shift to a long-awaited official U.S. jobs report that could sway expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy verdict next month.
Analysts say the coming U.S. figures could offer clues on the Federal Reserve's next steps, with weaker labour-market data potentially reinforcing expectation of an interest-rate cut.
Geopolitical developments between Russia and Ukraine also remain on investors' radar, alongside a full data calendar in the Eurozone led by the Consumer Confidence Index.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to advance joint industrial projects, investment and technical cooperation following talks in Minsk, as Kabul s...
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deep...
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Once associated mainly with Muslim-majority countries, Islamic finance has become a global industry. Its assets reached around $5.98 trillion in 2025, according to ICD–LSEG, as more countries explore Shariah-compliant finance.
Fuel restrictions have returned to parts of Moscow and the surrounding region, adding another strain to Russia’s economy as refinery outages and rising imports weigh on the rouble.
Azerbaijan exported goods worth $17.372 million to Armenia between January and July 2026, according to data from the State Customs Committee, as commercial ties between the two South Caucasus neighbours showed signs of expansion.
Online fast-fashion platform Shein lost a London copyright lawsuit against rival Temu on Thursday over photographs used to promote some products.
Norway’s $2.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund has revealed a 0.05 per cent stake in SpaceX worth $1.22 billion, marking its first reported holding in Elon Musk’s space company.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment