The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 40.26 points, or 0.35%, to 11,410.32, its biggest gain of the week. General Electric led with a gain of 3.4% after raising its dividend for the second time this year.The Nasdaq Composite added 20.87, or 0.80% to 2637.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 40.26 points, or 0.35%, to 11,410.32, its biggest gain of the week. General Electric led with a gain of 3.4% after raising its dividend for the second time this year.
The Nasdaq Composite added 20.87, or 0.80% to 2637.54. The S&P 500 index rose 7.39, or 0.60%, to 1240.39. The S&P 500 gained 1.3% for the week, while the Dow added just 0.3%.
Other markets: Europe up, Asia down
Europe's core stock markets closed the week mostly higher, boosted by strength in auto shares but limited by weakness in banks.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index closed up 0.1% at 276.19, its highest closing since late September 2008.
In Frankfurt, Volkswagen closed up 3.9%, while BMW added 3.9% and Daimler gained 3%, helping to lift the DAX 30 index back above 7000 to its highest close since June 2008. The index rose 0.6% to 7006.17 for a weekly gain of 0.8%.
In Paris, Peugeot and Renault gained 1% and 0.8%, respectively, but the French CAC 40 index closed down 0.02% at 3857.35, as financial stocks dropped. The index added 2.9% for the week.
In London, the FTSE 100 index ended the session up 0.1% at 5812.95, for a weekly gain of 1.2%.
Chinese shares bucked an Asian decline as robust trade data from China heightened expectations of an imminent interest-rate increase.
The Shanghai Composite advanced 1.1% to 2841.04, leaving it little changed for the week. The market was closed when China announced its third increase of banks' reserve requirements in a month.
Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index ended little changed at 23,162.91, In Japan, the Nikkei Stock Average fell 0.7% to 10,211.95,
In Mumbai, Indian shares halted three days of losses, as stronger-than-expected industrial data spurred buying in banks and other stocks. The Sensitive Index rose 1.4% to 19,508.89 but fell 2.3% for the week.
Singapore's Straits Times Index moved below 3200, falling 0.8% to 3185.42.
Commodities: Oil, gold down
Crude futures declined after China's decision to tighten its banks' reserve requirements. Light, sweet crude for January delivery settled 58USc, or 0.7%, lower at $US87.79 a barrel in New York. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange fell 47USc, or 0.5%, at $US90.52 a barrel.
Gold futures eased as traders considered a possible weekend interest-rate increase in China and upbeat US trade data. The most actively traded contract for February delivery settled down $US7.90, or 0.6%, at $US1384.90 an ounce in New York.
Currencies: Dollar up, euro down
The US dollar rose against both the euro and the yen after strong US consumer sentiment and trade data.
The euro temporarily slipped below $US1.32 and the dollar briefly broke above ¥84,
The euro was at $US1.3229 from $US1.3243 from late on Thursday. The dollar was at ¥83.90 from ¥83.69, while the euro was at ¥110.99 from ¥110.82.
The UK pound was at $US1.5804 from $US1.5771 and the dollar was at 0.9812 Swiss franc from 0.9833.
