Asian equity markets were off to a positive start on Thursday as the fall in oil prices and concerns over Greece’s potential departure the euro zone abated, while a positive finish on Wall Street overnight lifted trading sentiment.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index saw a robust start to Thursday, helped by a weaker yen which traded at 119.21 against the greenback, compared to 118.9 in the previous session.
China’s benchmark Shanghai Composite index fell 1.2 percent an hour into trade, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index extended Wednesday’s gains to rally 0.5 percent.
Huge gains in index heavyweights help South Korean shares to pull away from a more than one-year low of 1,876 points attained on Wednesday.