European stocks broke a four-day winning run on Thursday, with Italian shares dragging the benchmark index lower as euroskeptic parties moved closer to form a coalition government. Several European markets were closed for Ascension Day, including Switzerland, Austria, the Nordics and Greece.

The Asia-Pacific continued the week's global stock rebound, following fresh gains in the U.S. as worries ease about higher interest rates. A number of indexes are set to cap their best week in months, coming as oil prices jumped to fresh 3 ½-year highs in recent days.

U.S. stocks closed solidly higher on Thursday, with equities advancing in a broad rally that gave the Dow Jones Industrial Average its longest winning streak since February.