·         Stocks are shrugging off the latest news from the investigation into President Donald Trump's campaign even though his former lawyer said Trump ordered him to pay off a porn star in an effort to effect the outcome of the election.

Strategists said so far there is nothing impeachable in any of the findings that came out either in the guilty plea by attorney Michael Cohen or in the charges against former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, found guilty of bank and tax fraud by a jury Tuesday.

The investigation may create volatility but strategists do not see it having a negative impact on the bull market unless Trump is tied directly to Russian manipulation of the election or allegations become so bad that Republicans lose control of the House and Senate.

The Nikkei share average ended 0.2 percent higher at 22,410.82.

·         China’s stock markets ended higher on Thursday, as investors looked past new tariffs Washington and Beijing slapped on each other’s goods in the latest escalation of the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

The Shanghai Composite index ended 0.4 percent higher. The country’s blue-chip index also gained 0.4 percent.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC