Investing.com - Australian shares added 0.2% at the open on Thursday, reflecting a recovery in New York after Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, maintained his expectation of rate cuts taking place in 2024, while Bitcoin made a comeback, trading above $US67,000.
According to Bloomberg, oil prices have surged, nearing their peak for the year, following a US report revealing increased fuel demand as the summer driving season approaches. Both gold and iron ore also saw price increases.
In his testimony to Congress, Powell assured there was no immediate reason to anticipate a US recession. He remains confident that the US is on the path to a soft landing, a scenario where growth slows down and inflation cools off.
Semiconductor manufacturers Nvidia, AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), and Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ:SMCI) have once again reached new record highs, as investors continue to show interest in the sector due to a surge in demand for artificial intelligence-related products.
Nvidia's market cap reached $US2.2 trillion as the stock price rose close to $US900 before settling at $US887. This puts the company on the heels of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), which has seen a decrease in its market cap to $US2.6 trillion following a slump since the start of the year.
Conversely, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)'s market cap is teetering on the edge of dropping below $US550 billion after the stock price fell again due to analyst concerns about slower deliveries and a gloomy outlook for the electric vehicle sector.
In other news, New York Community Bancorp Inc (NYSE:NYCB) plummeted by 45% to trade below $US2 a share. However, it recovered and closed up 7.5% after securing a financial lifeline.
Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:CRWD) saw its shares skyrocket following strong quarterly results, leading to increased optimism about future demand. As a result, Oppenheimer raised its price target from $US350 to $US355.
Several companies, including BHP (ASX:BHP), Bapcor Ltd (ASX:BAP), G8 Education Ltd (ASX:GEM), Idp Education Ltd (ASX:IEL), Michael Hill International Ltd (ASX:MHJ), NIB Holdings (ASX:NHF), Pinnacle Investment Management Group Ltd (ASX:PNI), Platinum Asset Management Ltd (ASX:PTM), Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), South32 Ltd (ASX:S32), Viva Energy Group Ltd (ASX:VEA), and Woodside Energy Ltd (ASX:WDS), are set to trade ex-dividend on Thursday.
In corporate news, the Commonwealth Bank Of Australia (ASX:CBA) plans to close 45 Bankwest branches and convert another 15 to the CBA brand as part of its digital transformation strategy. Meanwhile, Scott Hartley, the new CEO of Insignia Financial Ltd (ASX:IFL), has promised to improve profits, acknowledging that investors will want to see evidence of increased efficiencies and cost savings.
As of 8am AEDT, ASX futures were up 37 points or 0.5% to 7750. The Australian dollar increased by 0.9% to 65.63 US cents, while Bitcoin was up 4.3% to $US66,775.
The day's agenda includes the release of January's trade balance and housing finance data at 11.30am. Overseas, China will release its January trade data, Germany will announce its January factory orders, and the European Central Bank is set to make a policy decision.