HONG KONG, Dec 29 (Reuters) - The dollar firmed slightly in early Asian trade on Wednesday as a recent rally in shares showed signs of petering out, but holiday-thinned trading meant markets were showing little real direction.

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Japan's factory output surged in November as production in the auto sector benefited from a recovery in global parts supplies, lifting prospects for a strong fourth-quarter economic rebound.

SINGAPORE, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Oil gained more ground on Tuesday with prices trading close to last session's one-month high on expectations that the Omicron coronavirus variant will have only a limited impact on global demand.

HONG KONG, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Asian shares gained on Tuesday, cruising in the slipstream of another record-setting day on Wall Street amid strong retail figures, while the safe-haven yen lost ground as traders stayed in riskier currencies and asset classes like equities.

TOKYO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The yen traded near a one-month low to the dollar on Tuesday as safe-havens fell out of favour following Wall Street's rally to a record high overnight, with Omicron uncertainty consigned to the background.

The outlook of global natural rubber (NR) has improved further this month based on the preliminary updates given by Member Governments up to November 2021. Although the production in most producing countries is affected by adverse weather this month, the global production of NR is expected to grow by 2.1% to 13.882 million tonnes. The outlook on global demand remains positive with expansion by 8.7% to 14.076 million. The favourable market fundamental brought positive sentiments to the NR market.