Asian shares were largely higher on Friday, mirroring a robust performance on Wall Street where technology giants Nvidia and Salesforce fueled gains. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo climbed 0.8%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.3%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 saw a 0.3% increase, and Taiwan's Taiex surged 1%.

Conversely, South Korea's Kospi experienced a dip of 1%. The Shanghai Composite index remained largely unchanged.

Nvidia's stock rallied 8.7% after the chipmaker reported profit and revenue exceeding analysts' expectations for its latest quarter. The company also issued forecasts for future revenue growth that surpassed estimates, indicating sustained demand for chips used in artificial intelligence projects. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declared that "AI has reached its inflection point," adding that "It’s doing useful work. Its tokens are productive and profitable."

Salesforce also saw a significant boost, jumping 22.6% for its best trading day in six years. The company attributed its strong performance, described as one of its best quarters ever, to AI-driven advancements. Salesforce, which manages customer data, raised its full-year revenue forecast and announced an expanded partnership integrating Anthropic's Claude chatbot into its platform.

Despite the strength in major tech companies, broader market trends were mixed, with a majority of stocks within the S&P 500 experiencing declines on Thursday. U.S. benchmark crude oil fell 0.4% to $83.17 per barrel, and Brent crude slipped 0.3% to $88.24 early Friday. The U.S. dollar strengthened to 159.45 Japanese yen.

Retailers faced headwinds, with Best Buy falling 4.4% despite beating profit and revenue estimates. Concerns persist about U.S. consumer spending amid high inflation. In contrast, Dollar General rose 2.5% after reporting stronger-than-expected profits, potentially benefiting from higher-income households seeking less expensive options. Rival Dollar Tree, however, declined 3.9% despite exceeding profit expectations, as its revenue forecast midpoint fell short of analyst predictions.

Treasury yields saw a slight increase following a report indicating a solid U.S. job market, based on unemployment benefit applications. Investors are anticipating a speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, a key event that could provide further insights into U.S. economic policy and inflation control measures.