U.S. stock benchmarks posted slight gains on Thursday, but the advance was enough to record a trio of all-time highs for three closely followed benchmarks: the Russell 2000, Dow transports and the S&P 500. The Trump administration's tax-overhaul proposal continued to fuel some buying appetite for equities.

European stocks booked their sixth straight win Thursday on the way to a two-month high, but bank stocks pared bigger gains as market momentum surrounding prospects for U.S. tax cuts ebbed. Finishing firmly in the red were shares of Swedish apparel retailer H&M after a disappointing earnings report, while Ryanair Holdings PLC shares were dogged by troubles stemming from the carrier's ongoing cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Global stocks continue to lack clear drivers as the September quarter comes to an end, with many market participants merely squaring up positions. In Asia Pacific, most countries' stock indexes are set to end the month higher, with solid earnings and broadly positive risk sentiment outweighing the region's geopolitical concerns, in particular the escalation of tensions between North Korea and the U.S.