Global stocks advanced as crude oil prices fell after US president Donald Trump signalled that talks with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were in their “final stages”.Chip and technology stocks lifted European indices as traders await Nvidia’s quarterly earnings after the market closes, which investors view as a crucial test of AI demand.DUBLINThe Iseq Overall Index advanced by 1.6 per cent, with gains led by Origin Enterprises and Ryanair. Agri-services group Origin jumped by 6 per cent to €4.71 per share.Ryanair, meanwhile, reversed Tuesday’s decline, adding 5.3 per cent to close at €23.50 amid renewed hopes for a deal between Iran and the US to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, the closure of which has seen jet fuel prices skyrocket.On the day that Bank of Ireland and AIB announced their inclusion in a joint venture of 37 EU banks developing a euro-backed stablecoin, Irish bank shares were mixed. AIB dipped 0.5 per cent to €9.78 per share, while Bank of Ireland inched 1.4 per cent higher to €17.05. Among the other big movers were Uniphar, which added 2.3 per cent, and FBD Holdings, which slid by 1.8 per cent.EUROPETech and banking stocks lifted European share indices on Wednesday, with the blue-chip Stoxx 50 closing up more than 2 per cent, while the pan-European Stoxx 600 jumped by 1.5 per cent. Chip giant Nvidia’s results ⁠after market close on Wednesday could test ⁠the AI-driven momentum. Yet, European semiconductor ​shares gained in advance of the announcement, with ASML and Infineon up by 6.7 per cent and 5.3 per cent. German software company SAP bucked the trend, dipping by more than 2.1 per cent after a week of significant gains.Exchange operator Euronext advanced 5 per cent after reporting first-quarter earnings above market expectations. Big banking names also moved higher, with Intesa Sanpaolo, BBVA and Santander up by 3 per cent or more, while BNP Paribas added 2 per cent. LONDONUK shares inched higher after a softer-than-expected April inflation print offered relief to investors. The benchmark FTSE 100 added 1.1 per cent, and the mid-cap FTSE 250 was up 1.2 per cent. Aerospace ‌and defence stocks ⁠rose, led by a 5.2 per cent gain in shares of defence contractor Babcock International after Peel Hunt upgraded the stock to “buy” from “add”.Marks and Spencer jumped 6.6 per cent after the high-street retail giant forecasted that it would return to profit growth this year.Meanwhile, British Land added 2.4 per cent after the real estate giant revealed stronger-than-expected profits amid growing demand for office space from the booming AI and tech sectors.NEW YORKWall Street’s main indices rose amid, while traders awaited Nvidia’s results for clues on whether a tech-led surge from 2026 lows has more room to run.The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite were all ahead by around 1 per cent by the closing bell in Europe. US crude fell below $100 on a report that President Donald Trump has said the US is in the “final stages” of talks with Iran. Nvidia rose 2 per cent on Wednesday. Its share price has declined the day after the last three earnings reports, even though the company posted solid results. The options market is pricing in a 5.5 per cent move in either direction in the wake of the upcoming report.The broader chip sector also advanced on Wednesday. Marvell Technology rose 7.8 per cent, Intel gained 6.3 per cent and Micron Technology ‌added ‌3.6 per cent.Among other movers, Intuit declined 3.5 per cent. ⁠Reuters, citing an internal memo, reported that the company is laying off about 3,000 employees. – Additional reporting: Bloomberg, Reuters