Sawt Falasteen - Wall Street stocks rise on Meta results, US rate cut hopes

Meanwhile, the Bank of England cut its main interest rate for the first time since the Covid pandemic broke out in 2020, reducing borrowing costs by a quarter-point to 5.0 percent.

The decision hurt the pound but helped London stocks buck a downward shift in Europe, where hotter-than-expected eurozone inflation dampened sentiment.

Shares in Meta jumped 8.8 percent at the start of trading in New York.

It reported after trading on Wednesday a better-than-expected $13.5 billion profit for the second quarter and issued upbeat sales guidance.

Investors had recently showed concern that the tech stocks which have fuelled the market rally this year had become overvalued, but they have returned to the forefront this week.

Shares in Nvidia, which makes computer chips prized for powering artificial intelligence applications, soared 12.8 percent Wednesday on reports US chip sanctions on China would not be as severe as expected.

US stocks also got a boost on Wednesday when US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell signalled the central bank could cut interest rates as soon as September.

"Fed Chair Powell noted yesterday that a discussion of a rate cut would be on the table at the September FOMC meeting if the Fed gets the data it hopes it will get," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.

It got some of that data Thursday with a report showing that first-time requests for unemployment benefits rose last week, as did continuing claims.

"The key takeaway from the report is the rising level of initial claims -- a leading indicator -- which connotes some softening in the labor market that is expected to curtail discretionary spending activity," O'Hare said.

"The latter point notwithstanding, market participants are still smitten more by the possibility of rate cuts than they are struck by the possibility of earnings disappointing with an economic slowdown," he added.

Asia equities diverged with Tokyo tumbling on a stronger yen following this week's Bank of Japan interest rate hike, though the currency later began to give up some of its gains.

London's downside was also limited after Rolls-Royce revealed plans to reinstate dividend payments after a strong turnaround, sending shares in the British aircraft engine maker soaring to a record high.

Other well-received numbers were posted by defence giant BAE Systems, the London Stock Exchange Group and energy major Shell.

The eurozone's annual inflation rate unexpectedly edged up in July due to rising energy costs, data had showed Wednesday, leaving it still uncertain if the European Central Bank would cut interest rates in September after doing so in June.

Oil prices extended this week's big gains fuelled by rising tensions in the Middle East, as Hamas vowed retribution after political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a strike in Iran that was blamed on Israel.

- Key figures around 1330 GMT -

New York - Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 40,990.98 points

New York - S&P 500: UP 0.4 percent at 5,541.55

New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 17,647.03

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,393.00

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.3 percent at 7,434.01

Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 1.1 percent at 18,304.62

Euro STOXX 50: DOWN 0.9 percent at 4,827.42

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.5 percent at 38,126.33 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.2 percent at 17,304.96 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,932.39 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 150.47 yen from 149.88 yen on Wednesday

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0793 from $1.0828

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2799 from $1.2858

Euro/pound: UP at 84.33 pence from 84.19 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.7 percent at $78.43 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.7 percent at $81.39 per barrel

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N.Awad--SF-PST