Shanghai — Asian shares jumped on Friday after a phone call between the US and Chinese presidents raised the hope of a thaw in trade tensions, but gains were checked by signs of slowing global growth and a warning from tech giant Apple on holiday sales. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan touched a two-and-a-half-week high and was last up 1.4%, adding to the previous session’s strong gains. But that came after a sharp 10.3% dive in October, its worst month since August 2015. Chinese blue chips gained 1.7%, and China’s start-up board added 3% after President Xi Jinping promised more support for private firms. Japan’s Nikkei stock index was 1.2% higher. The cheerier mood in Asian trade followed a rise in US shares overnight, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 each gaining 1.06% while the Nasdaq Composite rallied 1.75%. A combination of bargain-hunting following steep losses in equities in October and some strong corporate earnings have helped ...
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