Wall Street ends flat, as European shares extend rebound

US stocks ended flat today, giving up modest gains late in the session, denying the Dow a chance to inch closer to all-time highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average shed 20.88 points, or 0.15 percent, to 14,054.49 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 1.31 points, or 0.09 percent, to 1,514.68. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 2.07 points, or 0.07 percent, to end at 3,160.19.

For the month, the Dow rose 1.4 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq advanced 0.6 percent.

European shares rose again today, buoyed by fresh signs of central bank support and upbeat corporate results which helped indexes pursue their recovery of losses inflicted by Italy's inconclusive elections.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed the last trading day of February up 10.89 points, or 0.9 percent, at 1,171.47, and has now recouped most of the losses sustained on Tuesday after Italian elections ended in a stalemate.

Japan's Nikkei average climbed 2.7 percent to post a seventh straight monthly rise, its longest such winning streak since 2006, underpinned by easing concerns over political turmoil in Italy and upbeat US economic data.

The Nikkei rose 305.39 points to 11,559.36, breaking above its five-day moving average of 11,452.12 and nearing its 53-month high of 11,662.52 hit on Monday, and was up 3.8 percent in February. Thursday's move marked the biggest one-day percentage rise in three weeks.