SYDNEY, Feb 23 Reuters Global stock markets are on course on Friday for a week of heady gains as AI darling Nvidia39;s stunning results sparked a wave of record highs from Asia to Europe and the U.S., while the yen nursed losses on a range of currencies.

European markets pointed to higher openings with EUROSTOXX 50 futures up 0.1 and FTSE futures gaining 0.2. U.S. futures , were mostly flat.

Nvidia surged 16.4 overnight, adding a record 277 billion in market value. The company39;s results supercharged a global AIled rally in technology stocks, propelling the SP 500, the Dow Jones Industrials, Europe39;s STOXX 600 and Japan39;s Nikkei share average to record highs.

Japan is closed for a public holiday on Friday, but Nikkei futures rose nearly 1, suggesting Japanese stocks will extend their record run next week.

Some regional tech shares took a breather after a stellar rally this week, but MSCI AsiaPacific exJapan IT index still put on 0.3 to its highest level since March 2022.

South Korea39;s Hynix, the world39;s secondbiggest memory chipmaker which counts Nvidia NVDA.O as a key client, jumped 2.2 and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd rallied 1. The Global X Asia semiconductor ETF was up 0.9.

The Nvidia effect has ripped through global equity markets and given fresh wind to markets that were looking ominously poised for a 35 drawdown, said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone in Melbourne.

Consider that Nvidia holds its highly anticipated GTC…