SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian shares jumped to an 18-month high on Friday while gold and oil prices stayed buoyant in a holiday-shortened week, as investor optimism was boosted by hopes a U.S.-China trade deal would soon be signed.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Profits at China’s industrial firms in November grew at the fastest pace in eight months, breaking a three-month declining streak, as production and sales quickened, but broad weakness in domestic demand remains a risk for earnings next year.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Profits at China’s industrial firms in November grew 5.4% from a year earlier to 593.9 billion yuan ($84.93 billion), the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

(Dec 26): Asian stocks looked set for another quiet year-end session on Thursday, sitting on an advance of almost 9% for the quarter thanks to ebbing concerns about U.S.-China trade tensions and expectations of a global economic pickup in 2020.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar edged up slightly against the yen on Thursday while risk-sensitive currencies held firm on hopes of easing trade tensions between the United States and China and a pick up in the global growth.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Thursday, buoyed by a potential breakthrough in the Sino-U.S. trade war and OPEC-led efforts to constrain supply, although trading was quiet as many markets were in holiday mode.