TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Friday in thin, holiday trade after a three-day rally, with investors trying to gauge the Omicron coronavirus variant's impact on demand.

Dec 23 (Reuters) - U.S. auto retail sales are expected to fall in December, as supply shortages and high demand have caused prices to skyrocket, consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said in a report released on Thursday.

MELBOURNE, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday for a third straight day, underpinned by a weaker dollar on optimism about global growth, even as governments from Australia to Europe step up curbs to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

HONG KONG, Dec 23 (Reuters) - A global share rally continued in early Asian trading on Thursday and the safe haven dollar was on the back foot as markets took cheer from positive signs about the impact of the omicron variant of COVID-19 and U.S. economic data.

TOKYO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The safe-haven dollar languished near an almost one-week low against its major peers on Thursday as investors adopted a more optimistic stance about the global economic outlook, despite the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

HONG KONG, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The dollar edged down again in early Asia on Wednesday, starting a third successive session under pressure as investors favoured riskier currencies and asset classes.