Global stocks turned in a mixed performance at the end of the week as investors kept their focus on the artificial intelligence sector and the Nasdaq listing of South Korea's SK Hynix, while geopolitical concerns in the Middle East continued to mount.
In the United States, futures on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq retreated after strong gains led by technology stocks, as SK Hynix's $26.5 billion offering provided a fresh test of investor appetite for AI-linked chip companies. Despite a recent pullback in sector shares, the South Korean company's stock has risen roughly 630% over the past year.
In Europe, markets moved cautiously, with the Stoxx 600 index rising 0.2%, supported by mining and travel stocks.
Japanese and Asian markets posted positive performances, driven by gains in technology and AI companies. Japan's Nikkei index rose 1.2%.
Markets remain under the influence of two key factors: the continued surge in spending on AI infrastructure, with cloud computing and AI investment expected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2027, and geopolitical risks and the potential impact on energy prices, inflation, and global monetary policy.