Asia markets advanced in early trade on Thursday, following overnight gains in US equities.

Australia's ASX 200 was up 1.08 percent, led by a gain of 3.48 percent in the energy subindex. Japan's Nikkei 225 added 1.99 percent, extending gains from the previous two sessions on the back of a relatively weaker yen. Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi climbed 0.52 percent.

Overnight, an advance in oil prices sent US stocks higher, with the Dow Jones industrial average adding 0.24 percent, the S&P 500 higher by 0.08 percent and Nasdaq composite up 0.16 percent.

"Oil prices remain the main driver for markets," Rodrigo Catril, a currency strategist at the National Australia Bank, said in a note, "It has been the case this week,

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First Published:Apr 21, 2016 7:45 AM IST