·         Stocks rose on Wednesday as investors cheered strong quarterly earnings from major banks like Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 141.57 points to 24,207.16 as Goldman Sachs outperformed. The S&P 500 gained 0.2 percent to close at 2,616.10, led by a 2.2 percent gain in financials. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.15percent to 7,034.69.

·         European stocks closed higher on Wednesday, as market participants awaited a no-confidence vote in the U.K. government led by Theresa May.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up almost half a percent at the closing bell, with most sectors and major bourses in positive territor

·         Asia Pacific markets rose in early trade on Thursday with investor sentiment likely buoyed by strong quarterly earnings in the U.S. and after the U.K. government won a parliamentary confidence vote.

 Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 0.26 percent in early trade while the Topix index added 0.53 percent. The yen, considered a safe-haven asset, retreated against the dollar, trading at 109.00 at 8:08 a.m. HK/SIN compared to levels near 108.00 earlier in the week.

In South Korea, the Kospi gained 0.23 percent.

Reference: CNBC