Dec 25 (Reuters) -

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EQUITIES

GLOBAL - Wall Street topped off a global share rally in thin trade on Thursday as markets prepared for early Christmas Eve closes, while the dollar was buoyed by firmer Treasury yields and speculation that the Federal Reserve would slow its easing in 2025.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS went up more than half a percent.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

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NEW YORK - Wall Street's main indexes all closed higher on Tuesday, with gains in megacap and growth stocks bolstering benchmarks in a truncated Christmas Eve session.

Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI and Nasdaq Composite .IXIC scored four straight sessions of gains, with the S&P 500 .SPX taking its winning streak to three sessions, marking the first day of the seasonal Santa Claus rally.

For a full report, click on .N

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LONDON - Europe's main stocks index rose on Tuesday, with mining and energy stocks leading gains amid light trading volumes ahead of the Christmas break.

The pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX was up 0.2%, with many markets either shut or working reduced hours for Christmas Eve.

For a full report, click on .EU

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TOKYO - Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Tuesday, giving back some of the previous session's gains, with trading largely lacking direction in a holiday-thinned week.

The Nikkei .N225 fell 0.32% to end the day at 39,036.85, following a 1.2% rise on Monday, its first advance since Dec. 12.

For a full report, click on .T

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SHANGHAI - Chinese and Hong Kong stocks rallied on Tuesday, driven by banking gains, after reports of Beijing's planned $411 billion special treasury bond issuance for 2025.

The Shanghai Composite index .SSEC added 1.3% to 3,393.53 and the blue-chip CSI300 index .CSI300 jumped 1.3% at close.

For a full report, click on .SS

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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares inched up on Tuesday, with gains in banking and healthcare stocks outweighing losses in miners, as investors welcomed signals from the country's central bank regarding early 2025 rate cuts if inflation looked to be cooling sustainably.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO closed marginally higher by 0.24% at 8,220.9 points.

For a full report, click on .AX

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SEOUL - South Korean shares fell on Tuesday in relatively thin holiday trading, after consumer sentiment data dipped to the worst in two years.

The blue-chip KOSPI .KS11 shed 1.49 points, or 0.06%, at 2,440.52 as of 06:32 GMT.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - The dollar edged higher on Tuesday in thin holiday trading as the expected slower path of interest rate cuts from the U.S. Federal Reserve compared with other global central banks continued to command market direction.

The dollar index =USD, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, rose 0.14% to 108.24

For a full report, click on USD/

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SHANGHAI - China's yuan hovered near a 13-month low against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, pressured by bond yields near record-lows amid a slow economic recovery at home and higher-for-longer U.S. rates dominating investors' minds.

The spot yuan CNY=CFXS opened at 7.2950 per dollar and was last trading 15 pips lower than the previous late session close at 7.2985 as of 0619 GMT, close to levels last seen in November, 2023.

For a full report, click on CNY/

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AUSTRALIA - The Australian dollar stayed on the defensive on Tuesday after the country's central bank signalled it was closer to cutting interest rates but needed the flow of economic news to support its confidence that inflation was slowing.

That left the Aussie idling at $0.6241 AUD=D3, just above its recent two-year trough of $0.6199. Resistance lies around $0.6339, with major support at a 2022 low of $0.6170.

For a full report, click on AUD/

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SEOUL - The South Korean won weakened, while the benchmark bond yield rose.

In offshore trading, the won KRW= was quoted at 1,457.2 per dollar, down 0.4% on the day.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields pared gains on Tuesday after the Treasury saw solid demand for a $70 billion sale of five-year notes, but remained higher on the day as traders evaluated the likelihood the Fed will cut interest rates next year given high inflation.

Benchmark 10-year note yields US10YT=RR were last up 1.8 basis points at 4.617% and earlier reached 4.629%, the highest since May 29.

For a full report, click on US/

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LONDON - There will be no European government bond market reports GVD/EUR from Tuesday, Dec. 24 to Thursday, Dec. 26 due to the Christmas holidays in several markets.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

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TOKYO - Japanese government bond yields ticked up slightly on Tuesday as the effect of the surge in U.S. bond yields overnight was limited by more dovish signals from the Bank of Japan.

The 10-year JGB yield JP10YTN=JBTC added 0.5 basis point (bp) to 1.065% as of 0358 GMT, after equivalent-maturity Treasury yields US10YT=RR shot to the highest since the end of May overnight.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD

Gold prices steadied in holiday-thinned trade on Tuesday as investors looked ahead to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate strategy and President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which could shape the metal's trajectory next year.

Spot gold XAU= rose 0.1% to $2,616.88 per ounce as of 12:47 p.m. ET (1747 GMT). U.S. gold futures GCv1 settled 0.3% up at $2,635.50.

For a full report, click on GOL/

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IRON ORE

Iron ore futures prices gained for a second straight session on Tuesday, supported by pre-holiday restocking by steelmakers in top consumer China and revived hopes of stimulus.

The most-traded May iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) DCIOcv1 ended daytime trade 1.29% higher at 783 yuan ($107.28) a metric ton.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

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BASE METALS

Copper prices rose on Tuesday on revived hopes for additional fiscal stimulus in top consumer China in thin pre-Christmas activity, and were on track for a 4.5% gain in 2024 ahead of expected volatility in 2025.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange $(LME.UK)$ CMCU3 added 0.4% to $8,948 per metric ton by 1700 GMT.

For a full report, click on MET/L

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OIL

Oil prices were up on Tuesday, reversing the prior session's losses on a brightening short-term market outlook tied to the prospect of slightly tightening supplies as trade thinned ahead of the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 88 cents, or 1.2%, at $73.51 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 also rose 91 cents, or 1.3%, to $70.15 a barrel by 11:11 a.m. EST (1611 GMT).

For a full report, click on O/R

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PALM OIL

Malaysian palm oil futures traded sideways on Tuesday ahead of the Christmas holiday as profit taking capped gains.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for March delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was up 13 ringgit, or 0.29%, at 4,555 ringgit ($1,015.83) a metric ton at the close.

For a full report, click on POI/

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RUBBER

Japanese rubber futures edged higher on Tuesday as global supply uncertainty overshadowed a weaker seasonal demand outlook, while prospects of further monetary stimulus in top consumer China lifted market sentiment.

The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for May delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: closed up 2.5 yen, or 0.69%, at 366.5 yen ($2.33) per kg.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

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(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)