Asian shares gain on economy hopes, oil edges up on Mideast tensions

Asian share prices inched higher on Friday as economic stimulus around the world eased fears of economic deceleration while crude oil prices climbed on concerns that last weekend's attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities still pose supply risks.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 ended flat, staying than less than 1% below its closing record high hit in July while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index also came within sight of this year's peak.

Japan's Nikkei rose 0.34% to come within striking distance of its year-to-date peak.

Asian shares have been lagging global peers in recent months and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan is on course to post its first weekly loss in five, although it rose 0.08% early on Friday.

Monetary easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve this week and by the European Central Bank last week underpinned investor sentiment, while the latest U.S. economic data also eased worries about slowdown in the world's largest economy.

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits increased less than expected last week while home resales rose to a 17-month high in August.

"Investors are starting to price in the possibility of re-acceleration in the global economy next year. So far this month China has taken steps to support the economy, and U.S. and European central banks eased policy," said Nobuhiko Kuramochi, chief strategist at Mizuho Securities.

"There are hopes of an interim or partial trade deal between China as U.S. President Trump will need to shore up the economy next year before the election," he added.

US and Chinese deputy trade negotiators resumed face-to-face talks for the first time in nearly two months on Thursday, trying to lay the groundwork for high-level talks in early October.

Hopes for a deal were so strong that the markets shrugged off a media report that a trade adviser to Trump has said the U.S. president is ready to raise tariffs to 50 or 100 percent.

The New York Fed continued to inject a large amount of cash in money markets to deal with funding squeeze since the start of week, helping to bring down interest rates in the U.S. repo market, a key funding market.

In currency markets, the British pound kept its uptrend after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said a Brexit deal is possible and that if the Irish border backstop which the British government wants removed could be replaced with alternatives, it would not be needed.

Sterling traded at $1.2525, up 0.02% so far on the day, having hit a two-month high of $1.2560 on Thursday. The British unit stood near its highest levels in almost four months versus the euro at 88.19 pence per euro.

The euro was at $1.10455, staying in a holding pattern this week.

The yen traded flat at 108.03 yen to the dollar, off 1-1/2 month low of 108.48 yen hit on Wednesday.

The Brazilian real fell 1.4% on Thursday to 4.167 to the dollar after the central bank slashed borrowing costs to an all-time low and signaled it was prepared to do so again in the coming months.

Oil prices bounced back on continued worries about the stability of oil supply as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran showed little sign of abating after a weekend attack on Saudi oil installations.

Saudi-led forces on Friday launched a military operation on northern Yemen against what it described as "legitimate military targets", an incident that could aggravate regional tensions.

Washington said on Thursday it was building a coalition to deter Iranian threats while Tehran has warned Trump against being dragged into a war in the Middle East and said it would meet any offensive action with a crushing response.