Stocks poised for strong end to year; silver, gold stabilise after sharp slump

• Asian shares subdued near year-end, set for 2025 gains
• Silver, gold find footing after startling slump
• Oil holds gains as Ukraine peace hopes dented

By Stella Qiu

SYDNEY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied on Tuesday as investors counted bumper gains heading into year-end trade, while silver and gold found their footing after a sharp pullback from record highs took some froth off the precious metals' searing rally.

Oil prices held their overnight gains as Russia accused Ukraine of attacking President Vladimir Putin's residence. While Moscow provided no evidence for its claims, it nevertheless represents a setback for U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal.

Also adding to global geopolitical tensions, President Donald Trump said he could support another major strike on Iran. China launched 10 hours of live-firing exercises around Taiwan on Tuesday.

Liquidity across most markets remained thin in a holiday-shortened week, which exacerbated volatile price swings in silver and other precious metals overnight. After hitting a new record of about $84 per ounce, silver slumped 8.7% in the biggest one-day fall since August 2020, bringing gold and copper down with it.

The white metal XAG= bounced 2.5% on Tuesday to $74.1 per ounce and was still on track for a staggering annual gain of 156%. Gold XAU= also gained 0.7% to $4,361 per ounce, after tumbling 4.4% overnight.

Tony Sycamore, analyst at IG in Sydney, said the initial gap higher in silver was likely to do with stop losses, price action and panic buying as well as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange raising margin requirements. However, the move soon exhausted itself with no real buyers stepping in at those elevated levels.

"We've had a cooling in the precious metals, but I don't think this trend is over. We still got deficits. We still got nation stockpiling. We've got export restrictions," said Sycamore. "This generational bubble - has it finished? Not sure. Jury's out with that."

On Tuesday, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS inched up 0.1% and was set for an annual gain of 26.7%, its best performance since 2017. Japan's Nikkei .N225 eased 0.1% but was up 26% for the year.

China's blue chips .CSI300 rose 0.2%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index .HSI gained 0.4%. All of the U.S. and European stock futures STXEc1, NQc1, ESc1 were mostly steady in Asia.

Overnight, Wall Street finished lower as heavyweight technology stocks retreated from last week's gains.

Still, U.S. stocks were on course to end 2025 near record highs, having notched double-digit gains in a tumultuous year dominated by tariff wars, central bank policy and simmering geopolitical tensions.

DOLLAR'S BAD YEAR

In the currency markets, the U.S. dollar was steady ahead of the minutes of the Federal Reserve's December meeting which is expected to showcase a divided central bank unsure of the policy path next year. The dollar index is =USD on track for an annual decline of almost 10%, its steepest in eight years. FRX/

The yen hovered at 156.06 per dollar JPY=, some distance away from the 158-160 area that could trigger intervention from Japanese authorities. The euro EUR= was at $1.1777, on course for an impressive gain of 13.7% this year.

Rate cuts in the U.S and prospects of more next year have weighed on the U.S. dollar and helped Treasuries rally, especially at the short-end. Two-year yields US2YT=RR slipped 1 basis point to 3.4586%, down for a fourth straight session. For the year, they were down almost 80 basis points.

The 10-year yield US10YT=RR was set for an annual drop of 46 bps.

Oil prices held largely steady on Tuesday after gaining over 2% overnight. Brent crude LCOc1 futures were flat at $61.92 a barrel, having jumped 2.1% on Monday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was off 0.1% at $58.01 a barrel. O/R