Jan 3 (Reuters) -

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** indicates closing price

All prices as of 1816 GMT

EQUITIES

GLOBAL - Global stocks advanced on Thursday after a four-session drop to end 2024, while the dollar strengthened after economic data pointed to a U.S. labor market that remained on solid footing.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS 1.84 points, or 0.23%, to 843.38 and was on track for its biggest daily percentage gain since Dec. 24.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

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NEW YORK - Wall Street's main indexes edged higher in the volatile first trading session of 2025 as investors pinned their hopes on a fresh political landscape and more interest rate cuts, while Tesla slid after a dour deliveries report.

At 11:41 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 111.85 points, or 0.26%, to 42,656.07, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 25.69 points, or 0.44%, to 5,907.32 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 98.75 points, or 0.51%, to 19,409.54.

For a full report, click on .N

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LONDON - European stocks kicked off the first trading session of 2025 on a high note on Thursday, buoyed by a strong performance in the energy sector, while global investors analysed fresh economic data from the United States.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index .STOXX rose 0.6% to 510.67, reversing modest losses earlier in the session as trading volumes were light with investors still returning from their New Year holidays.

For a full report, click on .EU

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TOKYO - There will be no Tokyo Markets report as the Japanese markets will be closed for the New Year holidays.

Reuters will resume coverage of the Tokyo Markets on Monday, Jan. 6.

For a full report, click on .T

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SHANGHAI - China stocks ended sharply lower on the first trading session of 2025, logging their weakest New Year start since 2016, as factory data disappointed investors who are also waiting for more policy support.

China's blue-chip CSI 300 Index .CSI300 closed down 2.9%, while the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC plunged 2.7%.

For a full report, click on .SS

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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares rebounded in the year's first trading day, lifted by the resources sector riding on the back of upbeat commodity prices, with analysts predicting that miners could attract increased capital this year after a dismal 2024.

The S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO ended 0.5% higher at 8,201.2 points on Thursday, although volumes were about half of the monthly average.

For a full report, click on .AX

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SEOUL - South Korean shares ended the first trading day of 2025 flat, as investors gauged mixed economic data amid political turmoil.

On Thursday, the benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed 0.55 point, or 0.02%, lower at 2,398.94.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - The U.S. dollar hit a two-year high on Thursday in the first day of 2025 trading, building on last year's strong gains on expectations U.S. growth will beat peers and keep U.S. interest rates relatively elevated.

The dollar index =USD was last up 0.29% on the day at 108.85.

For a full report, click on USD/

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SHANGHAI - The yuan hit a 14-month low on the first trading day of the year while Chinese stocks and bond yields plunged, underscoring growing worries about China's economy and a looming trade war before Donald Trump begins his U.S. presidency this month.

After sliding 2.8% against the greenback in 2024 in its third straight year of losses, the onshore yuan CNY=CFXS kicked off the new year on the back foot, briefly weakening below 7.3 per dollar for the first time since Nov. 3, 2023.

For a full report, click on CNY/

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SEOUL - The won was quoted at 1,466.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC, 0.39% higher than its previous close at 1,472.3.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields receded further from December highs on the first day of 2025, as a bond sell off unwound despite good prospects for a slower pace of monetary easing and economic proposals from the incoming administration that raised inflation concerns.

The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes US10YT=RR was off 3 basis points from late Tuesday at 4.549%.

For a full report, click on US/

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LONDON - Euro-zone bond yields fell slightly in thin trading on Thursday, as data showed the bloc's manufacturing sector performed slightly worse than expected in December and lending remained weak.

Germany's 10-year bond yield DE10YT=RR, the benchmark for the euro-zone bloc, was last 1.5 basis points lower at 2.35%, having dipped five bps earlier in the day.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

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TOKYO - There will be no Tokyo Markets report as the Japanese markets will be closed for the New Year holidays.

Reuters will resume coverage of the Tokyo Markets on Monday, Jan. 6.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD - Gold hit a more than two-week high on Thursday, fuelled by safe-haven buying, while the market took out positions ahead of the Federal Reserve's rate outlook and President-elect Donald Trump's looming trade tariffs.

Spot gold XAU= rose 1.3% to $2,657.39 an ounce by 12:27 p.m. EST (1726 GMT), hitting its highest since Dec. 16. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 gained 1.1% to $2,671.20.

For a full report, click on GOL/

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IRON ORE - Iron ore future prices were rangebound on Thursday as market participants await more cues on the trading outlook in the new year after mixed signals in top consumer China clouded direction.

The most-traded May iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) DCIOcv1 ended daytime trade 0.64% higher at 782 yuan ($107.14) a metric ton.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

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BASE METALS - Copper prices hovered near five-month lows on Thursday as expectations of deteriorating demand for the industrial metal were reinforced by weak manufacturing activity around the world, particularly in top consumer China.

Benchmark copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.4% at $8,807 a metric ton by 1708 GMT, having touched $8,757 on Tuesday, its lowest price since Aug. 8.

For a full report, click on MET/L

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OIL - Oil prices rose about 2% on Thursday as investors returned for the first trading day of the new year with an optimistic eye on China's economy and fuel demand after a pledge by President Xi Jinping to promote growth.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 rose $1.65, or 2.2%, to $76.29 a barrel by 11:17 a.m. EST (1617 GMT), after gaining 65 cents on Tuesday, the last trading day of 2024. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 climbed $1.75, or 2.4%, at $73.47.

For a full report, click on O/R

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PALM OIL - Malaysian palm oil futures closed lower on Thursday, triggered by a sell-off after news of Indonesia's palm oil B40 delay caused market uncertainties.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for March delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell 2.52% to 4,336 ringgit ($968.72) a metric ton at the close, after rising about 1.8% earlier in the day.

For a full report, click on POI/

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RUBBER - There will be no Rubber report as the Japanese markets will be closed for the New Year holidays.

Reuters will resume coverage of the market on Monday, Jan. 6.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

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(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)