Overnight, the S&P 500 index .SPX and the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI closed up 0.2 percent, after Morgan Stanley (MS.N) posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit to round out a string of solid results from big U.S. banks.
With 70 companies in the S&P 500 having reported earnings through Wednesday morning, 80 percent have topped earnings expectations. Third quarter earnings are now expected to increase 0.5 percent, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, which would be the first quarter of growth in five.
Energy shares also contributed to the gains on Wall Street, as oil prices jumped after a surprisingly large inventory drop of 5.2 million barrels, compared with a forecast for a 2.7-million barrel build. It was the sixth week of declines in seven weeks.
Asian stocks advanced in early trading on Thursday, propelled by strong U.S. earnings and a jump in oil prices to a 15-month high on Wednesday, ahead of the third and final U.S. presidential debate before the Nov. 8 election.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.2 percent. Japan's Nikkei .N225 gained0.3 percent.
Reference : Reuters
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