Business and finance news from the Asia-Pacific. Asian stocks tracked Wall Street higher as optimism around a potential US-Iran ceasefire and robust corporate earnings buoyed sentiment. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index opened 0.4% higher on Thursday as traders bet a de-escalation of the Middle East conflict will ease oil prices and lift economic growth. That was after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indexes both closed at record highs, with Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley leading financials higher after stronger-than-expected revenue. We spoke to Paul Dobson, Bloomberg's Executive Editor for Asia Markets. Plus - The US and Iran are considering a two-week ceasefire extension to allow more time to negotiate a peace deal, according to a person familiar with the matter, reducing the risk of a resumption of fighting despite an intensifying standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. With the initial truce due to expire next week, mediators between the warring sides are seeking technical talks to overcome the most contentious issues preventing a longer-term agreement, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters. Those include the reopening of Hormuz and the future of Iran's nuclear program. We heard from Linda Robinson, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. She spoke to Bloomberg's Paul Allen and Shery Ahn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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