GLOBAL MARKETS-Asia shares buoyed by tech as Iran, rate uncertainty loom over markets

By Rae Wee

SINGAPORE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Asian stocks rose on Thursday, supported by gains in technology giants on Wall Street, while lingering U.S.-Iran tensions kept oil prices supported and left gold underpinned by safe-haven flows.

In currencies, the dollar firmed after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting showed policymakers were in no rush to cut rates.

Trading was thinned in Asia with markets in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, but MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS was up 0.4% and Tokyo's Nikkei .N225 gained 0.7%.

South Korea's Kospi .KS11 jumped more than 3% to a record high.

That followed a rise in shares of tech heavyweights on Wall Street, driven by news from Nvidia NVDA.O on Tuesday that it signed a multi-year deal to sell Meta Platforms META.O millions of its current and future artificial intelligence chips.

"We needed some good news. I think there has been a general feeling of malaise in the tech sector," said Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG, referring to the steep selloff earlier this month.

"Nvidia has been very much the front and centre of the rally which we saw up into the end of 2025, and potentially it's now coming to the rescue a little bit... some badly needed good news there that can potentially set tech stocks for a better run into Nvidia's earnings next week."

European markets appeared to be set for a mixed open. EUROSTOXX 50 futures STXEc1 were down 0.11%, while FTSE futures FFIc1 added 0.15%. DAX futures FDXc1 eased 0.3%.

Nasdaq futures NQc1 were up 0.17% while S&P 500 futures ESc1 edged 0.11% higher.

Geopolitics also loomed large in markets.

Oil prices extended gains after surging in the previous session, as investors priced in potential supply disruptions on concerns of a conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 0.16% at $70.46 a barrel after jumping 4.35% in the previous session, while U.S. crude CLc1 rose 0.25% to $65.35, following Wednesday's 4.6% gain.

"The balance of risks now tilts to a U.S. strike after market close Friday," said Michael Every, senior global strategist at Rabobank, adding that any attack is likely to last weeks rather than "being over by the Monday open".

The safe-haven gold XAU= continued to find bids and steadied at $4,998.18 an ounce. GOL/

FED OUTLOOK

The dollar held to gains on Thursday in the wake of better-than-expected U.S. economic data and as minutes of the Fed's January policy meeting revealed several policymakers were open to rate hikes if inflation remains elevated.

Against the dollar, sterling GBP= fell close to a one-month low of $1.34816, while the yen JPY= slipped to the weaker side of 155 per dollar to fetch 155.26.

"From our perspective, the (Fed) minutes support our view that rate cuts are off the table for the foreseeable future," said Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist at Allianz Investment Management.

"While some market participants are looking at inflation in the rear view mirror, the Fed is still signalling the safety warning that 'objects in the mirror are closer than they appear'. Policymakers specifically noted disinflation could be on a slower path."

Elsewhere, the euro EUR= struggled below $1.18 and last bought $1.17915, pressured by news that European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job early.

The New Zealand dollar NZD= was up 0.07% at $0.5970, having tumbled 1.4% in the previous session after the country's central bank tempered market expectations for a hawkish pivot at its policy meeting.