Jan 16 (Reuters) -

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** indicates closing price

All prices as of 1752 GMT

EQUITIES

GLOBAL - A global equities gauge rallied on Wednesday while the dollar fell with Treasury yields after data showed core U.S. inflation rose less than expected in December, raising hopes that the Federal Reserve could ease rates further.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS rose 12.19 points, or 1.46%, to 846.60.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

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NEW YORK - Wall Street's main indexes soared on Wednesday, with the benchmark S&P 500 touching a one-week high, driven by lower-than-expected December core inflation data and robust quarterly earnings from major U.S. banks.

At 11:37 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 570.93 points, or 1.34%, to 43,089.21, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 80.82 points, or 1.38%, to 5,923.73 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 356.93 points, or 1.87%, to 19,401.33.

For a full report, click on .N

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LONDON - European shares closed over 1% higher on Wednesday after an in-line inflation reading in the U.S. raised the chances of a second rate cut by the Federal Reserve this year.

The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX jumped 1.3% to 515.02 points and snapped a three-day losing streak, and saw its best intraday percentage gain since Sept. 2024.

For a full report, click on .EU

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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average gave up early gains to end lower on Wednesday, dragged down by chip-related stocks, while uncertainties about the Bank of Japan's policy outlook weighed on sentiment.

The Nikkei .N225 slipped 0.08% to 38,444.58, reversing the index's as much as 0.78% gain earlier in the session. The benchmark extended losses to the fifth straight session.

For a full report, click on .T

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SHANGHAI - China stocks closed down on Wednesday following a strong rally in the previous session as investors were cautious, awaiting additional government stimulus measures, while Hong Kong shares were marginally up.

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 dropped 0.6%, while the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC lost 0.4%. Hong Kong benchmark Hang Seng .HSI rose 0.3%.

For a full report, click on .SS

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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares ended marginally lower on Wednesday, dragged down by tech stocks mirroring Wall Street's decline as investors offloaded risky assets on a re-evaluation of U.S. interest rate cut expectations.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO eased 0.2% to close at 8,213.3.

For a full report, click on .AX

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SEOUL - South Korean shares erased early gains to end flat on Wednesday as focus shifted to the U.S. inflation report and the arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed down 0.59 points, or 0.02%, at 2,496.81.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - The dollar weakened against major peers on Wednesday after cooler-than-expected data eased fears that inflation was accelerating and increased the chances the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates twice this year.

The dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against six other units, fell 0.2% to 109.02, pulling it further away from the 26-month high of 110.17 it reached on Monday.

For a full report, click on USD/

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SHANGHAI - China's yuan eased to trade just a fraction from its daily downside limit on Wednesday, maintaining a weak bias despite a persistently firmer-than-expected official guidance fix and signs of tightness in domestic money markets.

As of 0310 GMT, the onshore yuan CNY=CFXS was down 0.01% at 7.3317 to the dollar after hitting an intraday low of 7.3319, which was 2 pips away from hitting the weaker end of the daily trading band set by the midpoint fixing.

For a full report, click on CNY/

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AUSTRALIA - The Australian and New Zealand dollars won some relief from selling pressure on Wednesday after a tame reading on U.S. producer prices restrained the U.S. dollar and pulled bond yields off their highs.

The uncertainty left the Aussie still looking vulnerable at $0.6189 AUD=D3, after eking out a 0.3% bounce overnight.

For a full report, click on AUD/

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SEOUL - The South Korean won was steady against the U.S. dollar.

The won was quoted 0.05% higher at 1,461.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields fell on Wednesday after data showed underlying inflation in the world's largest economy softened last month, suggesting that the Federal Reserve remained on track to cut interest rates this year.

In midday trading, the U.S. 10-year yield fell for a second straight day, and was last down 11.9 basis points (bps) at 4.669% US10YT=RR, on pace for its largest daily fall since late November.

For a full report, click on US/

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LONDON - Euro area benchmark Bund yields fell on Wednesday, breaking a 10-day rising streak, as core U.S. consumer price inflation came in below expectations in December, bringing back bets on two Federal Reserve interest rate cuts in 2025.

Germany's 10-year yield DE10YT=RR had dipped earlier in the day, and extended the fall after the data. If sustained, it would be its biggest daily fall since mid-June.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

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TOKYO - Japanese government bond yields hit multi-year highs on Wednesday, after Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's comments drove expectations for a rate hike this month.

The 10-year yield JP10YTN=JBTC rose 1.5 bps to 1.255%, its highest level since April 2011.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD

Gold prices pared gains on Wednesday after a U.S. consumer inflation report offered mixed signals about the future path of rate cuts this year, even as a drop in the U.S. dollar and Treasury yields limited bullion's losses.

Spot gold XAU= was up 0.2% at $2,684.09 per ounce by 1125 a.m. ET (1625 GMT), after gaining around 0.5% following the CPI data.

For a full report, click on GOL/

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IRON ORE

Iron ore futures extended gains on Wednesday, aided by China's better-than-expected credit data but the rise was capped by fears of escalating trade tensions after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office next week.

The most-traded May iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) DCIOcv1 ended daytime trade 0.71% higher at 782.5 yuan ($106.73) a metric ton, after hitting the highest since Jan. 2 at 787.5 yuan a ton earlier in the session.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

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BASE METALS

Aluminium prices rose on Wednesday as potential tightening of supply to the European Union if the bloc bans imports of the metal from Russia triggered buying by momentum-following funds.

Three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchange $(LME.UK)$ was up 1.7% at $2,602.50 per metric ton by 1706 GMT after hitting $2,607, its highest since Dec. 16.

For a full report, click on MET/L

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OIL

Oil prices rose about 2% on Wednesday on a large draw in U.S. crude stockpiles and potential supply disruptions from new U.S. sanctions on Russia, while a temporary halt to the war in Gaza limited the gains.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $1.55, or 1.94%, at $81.47 a barrel by 12:05 p.m. EST (1705 GMT).

For a full report, click on O/R

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PALM OIL

Malaysian palm oil futures closed lower on Wednesday, tracking rival soyoil's weakness in Dalian and Chicago markets and lack of fresh demand.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for March delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange lost 75 ringgit, or 1.69%, to 4,362 ringgit ($969.98) a metric ton at the close.

For a full report, click on POI/

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RUBBER

Japanese rubber futures climbed for the fifth consecutive session on Wednesday to their highest in more than two-and-a-half months, aided by global supply concerns and improving market sentiment in top consumer China.

The June Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract JRUc6, 0#2JRU: closed up 7.6 yen, or 2.02%, at 383.8 yen ($2.44) per kg.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

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(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)