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BANGKOK — <\/span>Shares opened sharply higher in Asia on Thursday after a rebound on Wall Street, as South Korea\u2019s Kospi took back the 12% it had shed a day earlier. <\/p>\n In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 jumped 4.3%, to 56,600.44. The Kospi was at 5,702.02 and trading was suspended after the benchmark shot up shortly after the open. <\/p>\n Australia’s S&P\/ASX 200 picked up 0.3% to 8,927.20, while New Zealand’s benchmark rose 0.9%. <\/p>\n However, U.S. futures were little changed, with the contract for the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearly flat while that for the S&P 500 edged 0.2% higher. <\/p>\n U.S. stocks rebounded after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the American economy. <\/p>\n The S&P 500 rose 0.8% Wednesday and erased much of its losses since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. <\/p>\n Uncertainty about the war in the Middle East has rattled financial markets this week, with most taking their cues from what the price of oil is doing. <\/p>\n Oil prices moderated throughout Wednesday.<\/p>\n After briefly topping $84, the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, settled at $81.40, back to where it was a day earlier. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.1% to $74.66.<\/p>\n However, oil resumed its upward climb early Thursday, gaining 2.4% to $83.32 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude jumped 2.5% to $76.53 per barrel. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n