US markets closed mostly higher on good economic data

31 Mar 2012 Evaluate

The US markets made a mixed closing on Friday, capturing the best first-quarter rally since 1998, after a better-than-anticipated rise in consumer confidence and spending boosted views of the economy. The Commerce Department reported spending rose 0.8% in February as income climbed 0.2%. Americans spent money in February at the fastest pace in seven months, but a good chunk of their cash went to pay for higher energy costs and incomes rose at a much slower clip. Besides, consumer sentiment in March reached the highest in more than a year, as consumers grew more confident about their current economic conditions, according to a gauge released. The University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters stated that the final reading for the consumer-sentiment gauge in March hit 76.2 - the highest since February 2011. Last month sentiment was at 75.3. Separately, a read on business activity in the Chicago area decelerated in March, but remained above 60% for a fifth consecutive month.

The Euro-zone finance ministers agreed to temporarily boost the lending capacity of the region’s rescue funds to 700 billion euros ($934 billion) from €500 billion in an effort to convince markets they can contain the region’s long-running sovereign debt crisis. In a statement, the ministers stated they agreed to effectively allow the temporary European Financial Stability Facility operate in combination with the permanent, 500-billion euro European Stability Mechanism, which becomes operational in July, in order to provide an effective ceiling of 700 billion euros in lending through mid-2013. Including a total of 102 billion euros in funds already committed to Greece and other bailout countries, the overall firewall stands at 800 billion euros, the ministers stated. The decision comes as Spain prepares to unveil its 2012 budget amid mounting nervousness over Europe’s fourth-largest economy to meet tough fiscal targets while dealing with a deepening recession and an unemployment rate of more than 20%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed higher by 66.22 points, or 0.50 percent, at 13,212.00. The S&P 500 gain 5.19 points, or 0.37 percent, at 1,408.47, while the Nasdaq was down by 3.79 points, or 0.12 percent, at 3,091.57.

Indian ADRs closed in green on Friday, Dr. Reddy’s Lab was up 1.20%, HDFC Bank was up 0.93%, ICICI Bank was up 0.87%, Tata Motors was up 0.60% and Infosys Technologies was up 0.57%.

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