GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks climb but dearth of trade details caps gains

* Trade deal sends stocks higher, but details awaited

* Nikkei hits highest since Oct. 2018, ASX edges up

* Pound slips as hard Brexit fears re-emerge

* Asian stock markets: https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

By Tom Westbrook

SYDNEY, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Asian shares gained on Tuesday,

but a lack of detail about the Sino-U.S. trade deal tempered

some of the exuberance that sent Wall Street to record highs

overnight, while familiar fears of a hard Brexit knocked the

pound.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

.MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei .N225 rose half a

percent to its highest in more than year. Australia's S&P/ASX

200 .AXJO eked a tiny extension to Monday's big gains.

Bond markets, currencies and commodities were more

circumspect than equities, and movements were slight.

"Everyone expected the U.S. was never going to put the new

tariffs on, it was hurting them as much as anyone else," said

Mathan Somasundaram, portfolio strategist at stockbroker Blue

Ocean Equities in Sydney. "But markets are fairly stretched, we

need to have better data to drive growth optimism."

The preliminary deal between Washington and Beijing will

double U.S. exports to China, White House adviser Larry Kudlow

told Fox News overnight. The United States will also reduce some

tariffs on Chinese goods under the agreement. It is not yet signed, and the Chinese side have been more

circumspect in their praise, but U.S. Trade Representative

Robert Lighthizer said over the weekend it is "totally done".

The three major U.S. stock indices rose modestly, but posted

record closing highs. So did the pan-European STOXX 600 index

.STOXX . .N .EU

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 0.4%, the S&P

500 .SPX added 0.7% and the Nasdaq .IXIC almost one

percentage point. For the year to date, the Nasdaq has increased

its value by a third, while the other indicies are up by more

than 20%.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 .FTSE had its biggest daily gain

in almost a year. But after the closing bell some familiar fears

returned. ITV reported Prime Minister Boris Johnson would use his huge

majority to reinstate a hard deadline for quitting the European

Union at the end of next year, again raising the spectre of a

chaotic "hard" Brexit. Sterling GBP= fell 0.6%.

WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN IT?

Elsewhere currency markets were more circumspect in the

absence of many of the fine details of the trade deal. The U.S

dollar recouped some of Monday's losses, though moves were

modest.

"Well, yeah, they've agreed a phase one deal, but what's

actually in it?" said Westpac analyst Imre Speizer.

"Equity markets just want to rally, so they'll pick on

anything that seems remotely positive, but the other markets are

maybe a little more thoughtful about exactly what's going on."

Several Chinese officials told Reuters the wording of the

agreement remained a delicate issue and care was needed to

ensure expressions used in text did not re-escalate tensions.

Still, trade optimism kept the Chinese yuan on the strong

side of 7 per dollar CNH= .

The Australian dollar AUD=D3 drifted lower ahead of the

release of central bank meeting minutes that will provide clues

as to the thinking about further monetary easing in 2020.

Brent crude LCOc1 held steady at $65.29 per barrel, after

climbing overnight. Spot gold XAU= was flat at $1,475.32 per

ounce.