SINGAPORE, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Asian equities fell on

Thursday after AI darling Nvidia ( NVDA ) disappointed investors

with a subdued revenue forecast, while the dollar firmed and

bitcoin hit a record high in anticipation of U.S.

President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policies.

Prevailing geopolitical concerns following the escalating

conflict in Ukraine earlier this week led safe-haven assets

higher, including gold and government bonds.

The spotlight though was on earnings from the world's most

valuable firm Nvidia ( NVDA ), which projected its slowest revenue growth

in seven quarters, sending its shares lower. Nasdaq futures

slipped 0.47%, while S&P 500 futures eased 0.3%.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

eased 0.23%, with tech heavy Taiwan stocks

down 0.5%. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.7%.

George Boubouras, head of research at Melbourne-based K2

Asset Management, said the market reaction to Nvidia's ( NVDA ) earnings

was partly a result of very high expectations for each quarterly

result. "While they delivered impressive revenue growth and

momentum, the market clearly wants more."

Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, said

Nvidia ( NVDA ) earnings were a clear indication that the momentum in AI

was only extending, with supplies being the bigger headwind

rather than demand.

"The structural AI tailwind could continue to be a key

driver for equities into the next year."

Elsewhere in Asia, stocks in China opened a shade

lower, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.22% at the open

as the market remains rangebound even as some global funds

follow domestic money into market segments sheltered from

tariffs.

Investor focus will also be on Indian conglomerate Adani

Group after U.S. prosecutors said on Wednesday that Gautam

Adani, billionaire chair of the group, has been indicted in New

York over his role in an alleged multibillion-dollar bribery and

fraud scheme.

Dollar bond prices for Adani companies fell sharply in early

Asia trade on Thursday.

SOARING DOLLAR

The dollar has been on the rise since the U.S. election in

early November on anticipation that proposed tariffs of the

incoming Trump administration will likely be inflationary and

keep rates higher for longer.

The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency

against six rivals, was at 106.56, not far from the one-year

high of 107.07 it touched last week. The index has risen more

than 2% since the Nov. 5 election.

The prospect of the Federal Reserve having to temper its

rate cut cycle has also boosted the dollar. Markets were pricing

in the Fed lowering borrowing costs by 25 basis points next

month at 56%, down from 82.5% just a week ago, according to

CME's FedWatch Tool.

Two Federal Reserve governors on Wednesday laid out

competing visions of where U.S. monetary policy may be heading,

with one citing ongoing concerns about inflation and another

expressing confidence that price pressures will continue to

ease.

The rise in the dollar has led the Japanese yen back into

intervention territory, leading to verbal warnings from

officials. On Thursday, the Asian currency

strengthened a bit and was last at 155.04 per dollar.

Bitcoin has been on a tear since the election as the

Trump administration are expected to relax regulations and be

crypto friendly.

The world's largest cryptocurrency, bitcoin, soared to touch

a record of $95,040 in early trading and was last at $94,787.

In commodities, supply concerns triggered by escalating

geopolitical tensions amid the ongoing war between Russia and

Ukraine led oil prices higher.

Brent crude futures for January rose 0.5% to $73.17,

while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for January

gained 0.5%, at $69.11.

Gold prices were on the rise for fourth straight session on

safe asset demands. Spot gold rose 0.15% at $2.654 per

ounce.

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)