• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 158.8 points, or 0.61 percent, to 26,405.76, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 3.64 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,907.95 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 6.07 points, or 0.08 percent, to 7,950.04.

The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average rose on Wednesday, with the Dow hitting its highest closing level since late January as rising Treasury yields boosted the financial sector and trade worries subsided.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq .IXIC ended the session slightly lower.

• Asia markets were mixed on Thursday morning following broad gains on Wall Street overnight.

• Japan's Nikkei 225 saw gains of 0.20 percent in the early hours of trading action, with the insurance sector rising by 1.36 percent.

• South Korea's Kospi also climbed up by 0.3 percent, with industry heavyweight Samsung Electronics rising by 0.98 percent.

• Down Under, the ASX 200 went against the overall trend by trading 0.32 percent lower, with most major banks trading down as the overall financial sector slid by 0.41 percent.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC