Japan, India shares gain in holiday-thin Asia, U.S. hopes help

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese and Indian stocks outperformed the rest of Asia in thin trade Monday, with sentiment partly lifted by signs of U.S. economic recovery, although trading was subdued with many markets closed for Christmas holidays. Tokyo's Nikkei stock average ended up 1 percent, above its 25-day moving average of 8,459, while India's main 30-share BSE index rose 1.14 percent, as investors sought holiday-season bargains. But MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan slipped from a two-week high touched earlier in the day to trade down 0.1 percent. U.S. ...