Global stocks edge higher on BOJ easing

US stocks rose on Wednesday as investors dipped back into the market after the recent pullback from a rally that lifted the S&P 500 to just shy of five-year highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 13.32 points, or 0.10 percent, to end at 13,577.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 1.73 points, or 0.12 percent, to finish at 1,461.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 4.82 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 3,182.62.

European shares advanced, led by autos, as the Bank of Japan became the latest central bank to launch fresh stimulus to help its economy.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed up 0.4 percent at 1,116.38, having fallen 0.4 percent on Tuesday.

The Nikkei average hit a four-month closing high after the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy to bolster an export-driven economy that's struggling with sluggish global demand and fallout from a territorial dispute with China, Japan's biggest trading partner.

The Nikkei ended 1.2 percent higher at 9,232.21 in brisk volume after rising as much as 9,288.53, or 1.8 percent.

The broader Topix index gained 0.9 percent to 764.80, with nearly 2.08 billion shares changing hands, up from yesterday's 1.8 billion and last week's average of 1.62 billion.