* Asian stock markets : https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4
* Pound surges as exit polls show Tories with majority
* Nikkei futures up sharply on reports of Sino-U.S. trade
deal
* Safe-haven bonds, yen fall away
* Markets scale back risk of rate cuts around the world
By Wayne Cole
SYDNEY, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Asian share markets were set fair
on Friday on reports a last-gasp trade deal had averted new U.S.
tariffs on China, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson's
Conservative Party looked to have won a clear majority in UK
elections.
The double dose of relief slugged safe-haven sovereign bonds
and the Japanese yen, even leading investors to scale back the
chance of more interest rates cuts around the world.
Sterling hit its highest since mid-2018 as exit polls seemed
to rule out a shock win by the left-wing Labour opposition, and
could help clarify the outlook for Brexit.
The pound was last up 2.3% at $1.3464 GBP=D3 and reached
levels on the euro not visited since mid-2016.
"The mood is pretty positive if you're holding pounds," said
Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank.
"If the outcome is confirmed we wouldn't be surprised to see the
pound trade towards $1.36."
Exit polls suggested the ruling right-wing Conservatives
could gain a commanding 368 seats in Britain's Parliament,
settling another long-standing uncertainty. Johnson now looked likely to have the power to push through
Brexit, though trade talks with the European Union could still
drag on for months.
A wave of trade relief had already lifted Wall Street to
record highs. Reuters reported the United States has agreed to
reduce some tariffs on Chinese goods and delay a tranche of
tariffs as part of a trade deal. China also has agreed to make $50 billion in agricultural
purchases in 2020 as part of the deal, that person and another
U.S. source familiar with the talks said.
"If the U.S. cuts the current tariffs to some extent as
reported, that is not something markets have priced in, so we
could see a further leg up in the stock market," said Norihiro
Fujito, chief investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan
Stanley Securities in Tokyo.
"The Conservatives appear to be on course for a big win. We
are now finally seeing a clear direction on Brexit after three
years of deadlock."
LESS NEED FOR RATE CUTS
Early Friday, Nikkei futures NKc1 pointed to opening gains
of around 2% for the cash index .N225 , while Australian stocks
.AXJO firmed 0.5%.
E-Mini futures for the S&P 500 ESc1 rose another 0.3% and
EUROSTOXX 50 futures STXEc1 added 0.7%.
Wall Street had celebrated the trade news with record highs.
The Dow .DJI ended Thursday up 0.79%, while the S&P 500 .SPX
gained 0.86% and the Nasdaq .IXIC 0.73%.
Bonds sold off, sending yields on U.S. 10-year Treasuries
US10YT=RR up 10 basis points to 1.89%.
Interest rate futures 0#FF: slipped as the market priced
in less chance of a rate cut from the Federal Reserve next year
- a shift seen in a range of other developed nations.
Other safe harbours also took a beating, with the yen
sliding across the board. The dollar jumped further to 109.52
yen JPY= having risen 0.7% overnight.
The dollar fared less well elsewhere as the pound and the
euro both benefited from relief over the UK exit polls. The euro
added 0.5% to $1.1189 EUR= , while the dollar dipped 0.35% on a
basket of currencies to 96.742 .DXY .
The dollar also lost out to the Chinese yuan to hit an
18-week low as any truce would be a boon for the export-heavy
economy. The dollar was last at 6.9298 yuan CNH= having shed a
steep 1.2% overnight.
Christine Lagarde had struck an upbeat tone on the European
economy on Thursday in her first news conference as head of the
European Central Bank, promising a sweeping one-year review of
the bank's workings. The shift from safe havens saw spot gold ease to $1,465.60
per ounce XAU= .
Oil prices rallied on hopes a trade deal would support
global growth and thus demand. O/R
Brent crude LCOc1 futures rose 76 cents to $64.48, while
U.S. crude CLc1 added 16 cents to $59.34 a barrel.
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(Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Sam Holmes)