U.S. stocks closed higher, Brent crude rose above the $70 mark and the euro jumped against the greenback ahead of Asia’s Friday trading session.

Major U.S. indexes rose in the previous session after recording slight losses on Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.81 percent, or 205.60 points, to finish the session with a record close of 25,574.73.

Other major indexes saw similar gains, with the SP 500 closing 0.7 percent higher and the Nasdaq composite climbing 0.81 percent by the end of the session.

Ahead, major U.S. banks are due to report quarterly results during the U.S. session as earnings season kicks off.

In Asia Pacific, futures pointed to a slightly higher open for Japanese equities on the last trading day of the week. Nikkei futures traded in Chicago were up 0.36 percent at 23,795 and Osaka futures were 0.08 percent firmer at 23,730. compared to the index’s last close.

Down Under, the SP/ASX 200 gained 0.19 percent in early trade.

For their part, Asian markets have had a solid start to the new year, with major indexes, such as the Nikkei 225, climbing more than 2.5 percent in the month. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index rose for the 13th straight day on Thursday and closed within sight of its all-time high.