*

Tech stocks dragged by Nvidia's ( NVDA ) forecast

*

Bitcoin on the charge, nears $100,000

*

Dollar firms as traders pare rate cut bets

*

Russia-Ukraine concerns lift gold, oil

(Updates at 0920 GMT)

By Medha Singh and Ankur Banerjee

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Global stocks eased on Thursday after

AI bellwether Nvidia's ( NVDA ) revenue growth forecast failed to excite

investors, while the dollar firmed and bitcoin hit a record

high, buoyed by hopes about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's

policies.

Geopolitical concerns following an escalation in the

Ukraine-Russia conflict earlier this week dented risk sentiment,

lifting safe-haven gold and boosting oil prices.

The spotlight though was on earnings from Nvidia ( NVDA ),

the world's most valuable firm, which projected its slowest

revenue growth in seven quarters. Futures tracking the

tech-adjacent Nasdaq slipped 0.6%, the pan European STOXX

600 dropped 0.3%.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe

eased 0.1%, after being range-bound for most of

the week.

"While we don't doubt there will be strong demand for

Nvidia's ( NVDA ) products, that does not mean growth rates will be

sustained and that is what investors care about," said Michael

O'Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading.

"No company experiences this type of growth in perpetuity."

Indeed, Nvidia's ( NVDA ) fourth-quarter forecast indicated the

company's revenue growth will slow to roughly 69.5% from 94% in

the third-quarter. Demand for the company's AI chips, which

dominate the market, remained strong.

Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo, said

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

only growing, 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, bourses in China and Hong Kong

were mixed, while tech heavy Taiwan stocks dropped 0.6%.

Attention was also on Indian conglomerate Adani Group after

U.S. prosecutors said 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.

The news cut $30 billion in market value from Adani Group

companies and dragged India's benchmark equity indexes lower.

SOARING DOLLAR

The dollar has been rising since the U.S. election on

anticipation that proposed tariffs of the 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 106.62, 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 slowing 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

55.7%, down from 72.2% 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 concerns about inflation and another expressing

confidence that price pressures will continue to ease.

"Markets are waiting for some direction. Equity markets look

a bit toppish here. The next data points will hopefully give

some direction," said Peter Schaffrik, global macro strategist

at RBC Capital Markets.

Attention will also be on business surveys in the euro zone

on Friday that could offer clues on the European Central Bank's

policy path as the bloc's currency threatens to break below 1.05

level against the dollar, Schaffrik said.

The common currency briefly breached that level on Friday

and has moved sideways since. It was last at $1.053175.

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

intervention territory, leading to verbal warnings from

officials. On Thursday, the Japanese currency

strengthened to 154.54 per dollar after falling as much as

155.86 in the previous session.

Bitcoin has been on a tear since the election as the

Trump administration is expected to relax regulations and be

crypto friendly.

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

a record of $97,902 and was just a touch under at $97,611.

In commodities, oil prices rose on supply concerns triggered

by the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Brent crude futures firmed about 1% to $73.61, while

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 1.3% at

$69.63.

Gold prices were on the rise for a fourth straight session

on safe asset demands. Spot gold rose 0.6% at $2,665 per

ounce.

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Sam Holmes, William Maclean)