SYDNEY: Asian shares tracked Wall Street higher on Thursday, led by record highs in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, as investors shrugged off higher oil prices from more shipping woes in the Gulf and focused on strong corporate earnings.

Overnight, the S&P 500 climbed 1% and the Nasdaq jumped 1.6% to close at new record highs, helped by a strong start to earnings season that has eased concerns about the health of the U.S. consumer despite rising energy prices from the Iran war.