GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares at 18-month highs; Nikkei finishes year up 18%
December 30, 2019 at 01:42 AM EST
A broad gauge of Asian share markets rose to an 18-month high on Monday as Chinese equities gained, while oil touched three-month highs on a combination of U.S. crude inventory drawdowns, trade optimism and unrest in the Middle East.