29.06.201704:23:00UTC+00Asian Markets Climb as Focus on Central Banks

Asian bourses advanced on Thursday, following a stronger close in U.S. markets, with traders seen to price in comments from top central bankers overnight.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 climbed 0.45 percent to 20,220.30. South Korea's Kospi Index opened at a record peak and briefly crossed the 2,400 level earlier in the session. The Kospi rose 0.55 percent to 2,395.66.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.08 percent to 5,818.10, led by advances in its energy, material and information technology sub-indexes.

Markets in greater China were also in positive territory. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 1.01 percent to 25,943.25. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite climbed 0.46 percent to 3,187.90 while the Shenzhen Composite was 0.628 percent higher.

Among shares active on corporate news, J.Front Retailing, a holding firm in Japan in the department store space, jumped 9.02 percent on strong net profits for the first quarter.