• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 27.86 points, or 0.11 percent, to 25,998.92, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 1.03 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,888.92 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 18.25 points, or 0.23 percent, to 7,954.23.

The Dow and S&P 500 ended slightly higher on Wednesday after news of a fresh round of U.S.-China trade talks, while the Nasdaq fell following a decline in Apple as it unveiled larger iPhones but made just minor changes to its offerings.

• Asia markets were largely positive on Thursday morning as the U.S. attempts to restart negotiations with China on trade.

• Japan's Nikkei 225 was among the biggest gainers in the morning, rising by 1.05 percent in early hours trade, while South Korea's Kospi also rose by 0.16 percent.

• Down Under, however, the ASX 200 bucked the trend to trade 0.12 percent lower in the early hours of trading, as the utilities sector slid by 1.3 percent.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC