APAC markets opened higher on Thursday following gains in U.S. stocks and Treasury yields overnight, with investors anticipating updates on U.S. inflation and weekly jobless claims later in the session.
By 11:55 am AEDT (12:55 am GMT) the ASX 200, Kospi 200, and Nikkei 225 gained 0.4%, 0.2%, and 0.5%, respectively.
In the US, the S&P 500 closed at a record high, as attention shifted towards the upcoming earnings season. The third-quarter results are set to begin in earnest on Friday, with several of the largest banks scheduled to report.
U.S. stocks rose across the board. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led with a 1% increase, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.7% to a record close. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6%.
Among S&P 500 companies, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd surged 10.9%, Carnival Corp jumped 7.1%, and Royal Caribbean Group rose 5.3%, making them the top gainers.
The biggest decliners included Constellation Energy Corp, down 6.19%, NRG Energy Inc, which fell 5.35%, and Boeing Co, dropping 3.39%.
In commodities, Brent crude oil slipped 0.6% to US$76.71 per barrel, while gold declined 0.5% to US$2,608.51.
Chinese markets closed sharply lower, with the Shanghai Composite Index dropping 6.6% to 3,258.86, and the Shenzhen Composite Index falling 8.6% to 1,917.31. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index also slipped 1.4% to 20,637.24.
Indian shares also declined, with the BSE SENSEX dropping 0.2% to 81,467.10.
European markets closed on a positive note. The UK’s FTSE 100 Index rose 0.6% to 8,243.74. In continental Europe, Germany's DAX climbed 1.0% to 19,254.93, and France's CAC 40 increased 0.5% to 7,560.09.
