Asia Morning Call-Global Markets

Dec 18 (Reuters) -

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** indicates closing price

All prices as of 1807 GMT

EQUITIES

GLOBAL - Wall Street opened higher on Wednesday as the blockbuster battle for Warner Bros Discovery vied for attention with Federal Reserve speakers and leaping oil prices after U.S. President Donald Trump's latest power-play in Venezuela.

In the broader market, the big global stocks indexes .MIWD00000PUS were mixed.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

- - - -

NEW YORK - Wall Street's main indexes fell on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq at three-week lows on the back of declines in heavy-weight technology stocks as investors weighed a report on funding hurdles for Oracle's data center plans.

At 11:39 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 105.49 points, or 0.22%, to 48,008.04, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 53.59 points, or 0.79%, to 6,746.67 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC lost 292.03 points, or 1.26%, to 22,816.43.

For a full report, click on .N

- - - -

LONDON - European shares were little changed on Wednesday with losses in technology stocks offsetting strong performance from basic resources amid lingering concerns over sky-high, AI-fuelled tech valuations.

The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX closed flat at 579.84, after trading close to record highs during the day.

For a full report, click on .EU

- - - -

TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average closed higher on Wednesday, rebounding from a two-week low hit in the previous session, as technology stocks tracked overnight gains on the Nasdaq.

The Nikkei .N225 rose 0.26% to close at 49,512.28, after falling as much as 0.6% earlier in the session.

For a full report, click on .T

- - - -

SHANGHAI - Mainland China and Hong Kong stocks snapped a two-day slide on Wednesday, led by gains in artificial intelligence shares, while investors assessed delayed U.S. economic data for clues on the Federal Reserve's policy path next year.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite index .SSEC ended 1.19% higher, after posting its lowest close in two months a day earlier.

For a full report, click on .SS

- - - -

AUSTRALIA - Australian shares closed lower for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, as concerns about earnings growth and prospects for a restrictive monetary policy environment next year pressured heavyweight banking stocks.

The S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO fell 0.2% at 8,585.20, its lowest close since December 10.

For a full report, click on .AX

- - - -

SEOUL - South Korean shares rose on Wednesday, led higher by chip shares after declines earlier this week, while a mixed U.S. jobs reading kept investor sentiment muted.

The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 rose 57.28 points, or 1.43%, to close at 4,056.41.

For a full report, click on KRW/

- - - -

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - Sterling fell on Wednesday after an unexpected drop in UK inflation all but guaranteed the Bank of England would cut interest rates, while the dollar rose as markets awaited central bank decisions and weighed commentary from Federal Reserve officials.

The dollar index =USD, which measures the U.S. currency against six others, rose 0.16% to 98.37, still not far from the lowest level since early October hit on Tuesday.

For a full report, click on USD/

- - - -

SHANGHAI - China's yuan eased from a 14-month peak against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, as analysts said a weaker-than-expected fixing signalled the central bank's efforts to prevent rapid currency gains.

At 0326 GMT, the yuan CNY=CFXS was 0.01% lower at 7.0439 to the dollar, snapping a four-session winning streak that had pushed it to a fresh 14-month high.

For a full report, click on CNY/

- - - -

AUSTRALIA - The Australian and New Zealand dollars were left to drift on Wednesday as U.S. economic data passed with little impact, while an update on the Australian government's budget hardly budged the dial on interest rates.

The Aussie idled at $0.6630 AUD=D3, having found support at $0.6616 overnight.

For a full report, click on AUD/

- - - -

SEOUL - The won weakened on Wednesday, while the benchmark bond yield rose.

The won was quoted at 1,479.8 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.46% below Tuesday's close at 1,473.0.

For a full report, click on KRW/

- - - -

TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields edged up on Wednesday as traders parsed data releases that have been delayed and show a less complete than usual picture of the U.S. economy following a 43-day federal government shutdown, with the Federal Reserve not expected to cut rates again for several months.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes US10YT=RR rose 1.7 basis points to 4.167%.

For a full report, click on US/

- - - -

LONDON - Euro zone bond yields fell and investors pared back bets on future European Central Bank rate hikes on Wednesday as the impact of recent hawkish remarks by board member Isabel Schnabel faded ahead of Thursday's policy meeting.

Germany’s 10-year yields DE10YT=RR, the euro area’s benchmark, were up 1.5 basis points at 2.86%, after reaching their lowest since December 8 at 2.826%.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

- - - -

TOKYO - Japan's 10-year government bond yield hit an 18-year high on Wednesday, as reports on the size of government spending next year raised fiscal concerns.

The 10-year JGB yield JP10YTN=JBTC rose 3 basis points (bps) to 1.980%, its highest since June 2007.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD

Silver prices surpassed $66 an ounce to a record high on Wednesday, while gold firmed as hopes of rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve were renewed after signs of a weak labor market, and as escalating U.S.-Venezuela tensions boosted safe-haven demand.

Spot gold XAU= gained 0.7% to $4,332.21 an ounce by 12:10 p.m ET (17:10 GMT).

For a full report, click on GOL/

- - - -

IRON ORE

Iron ore futures prices rose to a one-week high on Wednesday, helped by accelerated buying in the spot market as steelmakers in top consumer China began restocking feedstock for consumption during the Lunar New Year holiday in February.

The most-traded iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) DCIOcv1 closed daytime trade up 1.25% at 768 yuan ($109.02) a metric ton, its highest since December 11.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

- - - -

BASE METALS

Copper prices rose on Wednesday as persistent worries about potential shortages and gains in wider financial markets spurred buying by speculators.

Benchmark three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange gained 1.3% to $11,740 a metric ton by 1715 GMT after a 0.5% fall on Tuesday.

For a full report, click on MET/L

- - - -

OIL

Oil prices rallied more than 1% on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered what he called a complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, raising global political tensions and easing concerns about a growing surplus of global crude.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 99 cents, or 1.68%, at $59.91 a barrel at 1606 GMT,

For a full report, click on O/R

- - - -

PALM OIL

Malaysian palm oil futures traded in a tight range on Wednesday, as stronger crude oil prices supported the market, while concerns over sluggish exports and elevated inventories continued to weigh.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for March delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 3 ringgit, or 0.08%, to 3,965 ringgit ($970.39) a metric ton at the close.

For a full report, click on POI/

- - - -

RUBBER

Japanese rubber futures rose on Wednesday to their highest since December 1, buoyed by gains in crude oil prices and a tightening supply outlook.

The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for May delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: was up 6.3 yen, or 1.93%, at 333.3 yen($2.14) per kg.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

- - - -

(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)