Asia Morning Call-Global Markets

Dec 21 (Reuters) -

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** indicates closing price

All prices as of 1830 GMT

EQUITIES

GLOBAL - MSCI's global equities gauge advanced on Friday with technology leading Wall Street higher, while the yen weakened after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a three-decade high, as widely expected, and left the door open to more tightening.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS rose 7.14 points, or 0.71%, to 1,008.32 on the day but for the week it was showing a slight decline.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

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NEW YORK - U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday after a rocky start to the week, as a rebound in technology shares offset tumbling consumer stocks such as Nike.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 183.04 points, or 0.38%, to 48,134.89, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 59.74 points, or 0.88%, to 6,834.50 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 301.26 points, or 1.31%, to 23,307.62.

For a full report, click on .N

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LONDON - European shares closed at a record high on Friday, driven by defence and insurance stocks, as investors turned optimistic with just a handful of trading days left before the end of the year after a selloff earlier this week.

The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX rose 0.4% to 587.50, a day after logging its best one-day performance in more than three weeks and ending the week up 1.7%.

For a full report, click on .EU

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TOKYO - Nikkei finished trading ended higher on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a three-decade high and signalled more policy tightening.

The Nikkei share average .N225, which finished trading right before Ueda began speaking, ended the day up 1% at 49,507.21, led by artificial intelligence-linked stocks after U.S. peers rallied overnight following blowout forecasts from chipmaker Micron MU.O.

For a full report, click on .T

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SHANGHAI - China stocks rose on Friday but closed the week roughly flat as an earnings lull kept investors cautious ahead of fresh policy signals, while Hong Kong shares declined for the week.

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC both gained around 0.3% on Friday.

For a full report, click on .SS

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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares clocked modest gains on Friday, with most sectors in the green and banking stocks at the helm at the end of an otherwise downbeat week in which investors weighed the Reserve Bank's rate hike trajectory in 2026.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO ended 0.5% higher at 8,628.20 on the day. The benchmark, however, snapped three-straight weeks of gains to lose 0.8% through Friday.

For a full report, click on .AX

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SEOUL - South Korean shares rose on Friday, after weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data bolstered bets for Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, but still ended the week lower.

The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed up 26.04 points, or 0.65%, at 4,020.55.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - The yen weakened sharply against the dollar and other major peer currencies on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised rates to a 30-year high but did not offer clarity on future hikes.

The dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, rose 0.27% to 98.70.

For a full report, click on USD/

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SHANGHAI - China's yuan was flat on Friday as softer U.S. inflation data drew muted dollar reaction, but remained on track for its fourth straight weekly gain.

Its offshore counterpart traded at 7.0367 yuan per dollar CNH=, down about 0.05% in Asian trade.

For a full report, click on CNY/

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AUSTRALIA - The Australian and New Zealand dollars gained on the yen on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 30-year high in a widely telegraphed move, though the two currencies were still down against the U.S. dollar for the week.

Against the dollar, the Aussie was flat at $0.6610 AUD=, having hit a high of $0.6646 overnight before retracing the gains to finish just 0.1% higher. Support lies at $0.6592 and $0.6580.

For a full report, click on AUD/

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SEOUL - South Korean won softened against dollar on Friday.

The won was quoted at 1,476.3 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.22% below Thursday's close of 1,473.1.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields rose in line with global bond yields on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates, while investors continued to evaluate delayed economic releases and the direction of Federal Reserve policy.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes US10YT=RR rose 3.5 basis points to 4.151%.

For a full report, click on US/

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LONDON - Euro zone government bond yields climbed on Friday as traders increased bets on future European Central Bank rate hikes, while French debt moved roughly in line with its peers after lawmakers failed to strike a deal on the 2026 budget.

German 10-year yields DE10YT=RR, which serve as a benchmark for the wider, 20-nation euro zone, were up 4 basis points at 2.88%.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

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TOKYO - Japan's 10-year government bond yield jumped to a 26-year peak on Friday after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a three-decade high and signalled more policy tightening.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD

Silver soared to a record high on Friday, bolstered by investment demand and a supply tightness, while gold posted a weekly gain buoyed by increasing expectations of interest rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Spot gold XAU= rose 0.4% to $4,347.07 an ounce as of 02:17 p.m. ET (19:17 GMT), and logged a weekly gain of 1.1%. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 settled 0.5% higher at $4,387.3.

For a full report, click on GOL/

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IRON ORE

Iron ore futures prices traded in a tight range on Friday, but were set to end the week higher, supported by expectation that steelmakers in top consumer China will accelerate feedstock restocking ahead of 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 0.52% at 780 yuan ($110.79) a metric ton, posting a weekly increase of 2.6% - its biggest weekly gain since late October.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

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BASE METALS

Copper prices climbed on Friday, moving within $25 of a record high after another bullish forecast by Goldman Sachs highlighted mine supply constraints.

Benchmark three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.9% at $11,877.50 as of 1720 GMT.

For a full report, click on MET/L

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OIL

Oil prices edged up on possible disruptions from a U.S. blockade of Venezuelan tankers as the market waits for news about a possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal.

Brent futures LCOc1 rose 65 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $60.47 per barrel.

For a full report, click on O/R

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PALM OIL

Malaysian palm oil futures slipped more than 1% on Friday, booking a second consecutive weekly decline, as weaker rival edible oils and a firmer ringgit pressured prices.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for March delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 74 ringgit, or 1.86%, to 3,906 ringgit ($958.76) a metric ton, its lowest closing price since June 12.

For a full report, click on POI/

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RUBBER

Japanese rubber futures ended the week slightly higher as the yen weakened, but gains were capped as thin year-end liquidity met easing supply concerns from improving weather in Thailand, keeping prices range‑bound.

The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for May delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: was up 0.4 yen, or 0.4%, at 331.7 yen($2.13) per kg.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

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(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)