Published August 31, 2026 Updated about 2 hours ago SYDNEY: Australian shares advanced on Friday, driven by gains in mining and tech stocks after US chip giant Nvidia’s strong earnings underscored the AI spending boom and boosted market sentiment, shrugging off rate hike fears. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.6 percent to 9,092.30 points. It edged 0.4 percent higher during the week. Technology stocks advanced 2.3 percent, clocking their best session since August 20 as Nvidia’s robust revenue growth outlook fueled gains in Nasdaq. Sector majors WiseTech Global, Technology One and Xero gained between 2.7 percent and 4.8 percent, and were among the top gainers on the benchmark. The sector has been beaten down for the better part of a year, and a strong performance from US tech behemoths…