Wall Street reaches 52-week high
The Dow Jones Industrial Index is within striking distance of 13,000, a threshold last hit in May 2008.
Stocks on Wall Street closed at a 52-week high ahead of the long weekend holiday in the US.
The Dow Jones Industrial Index advanced 45.79 points, or 0.4%, to 12,949.87, within striking distance of 13,000, a threshold last hit in May 2008.
The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 0.2%, to 1361.23, just short of its best close in almost four years. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3%, to 2951.78.
Consumer-discretionary and financial stocks were the strongest performers in the S&P 500 on a percentage basis, while health-care and utility stocks lagged behind.
Intel was the biggest percentage gainer in the Dow, up 55 cents, or 2%, to $27.37 while Alcoa fell 13 cents, or 1.3%, to 10.15.
Other markets: Europe, Asia up
The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.7%, to 266.2 trading near levels not seen since last summer, after political leaders from Germany, Italy and Greece voiced confidence that a deal on a Greek bailout could be reached by the beginning of this week.
The French CAC-40 rose 1.5%, to 3443.50, Germany’s DAX gained 1.5%, to 6852 and the UK’s FTSE 100 index rose 0.5% to 5916.86.
Asian sharemarkets also were broadly higher. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average advanced 1.6% to 9384.17 and Korea's Kospi climbed 1.3% to 2023.47,
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 1% to 21491.62, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 made a more modest 0.3% increase to 4195.9.
The Shanghai Composite index was virtually unchanged at 2357.18.
In commodities, crude-oil prices settled up 93USc, or 0.9%, at $US103.24 a barrel, the highest settlement price in nine months.
Gold futures lost $US2.30, or 0.1%, to $US1724.50 an ounce.
Nevil Gibson
Mon, 20 Feb 2012
Mon, 20 Feb 2012
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Wall Street reaches 52-week high
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