Dow posts best month in 2011
US stocks rose on strength from Caterpillar and other industrials, lifting the Dow and Nasdaq to their best monthly performance since December.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 47.23 points, or 0.37 percent, to 12,810.54. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 3.13 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,363.61. The Nasdaq Composite Index edged up 1.01 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,873.54.
European stocks inched higher, rallying for a seven straight session and posting their best monthly performance since December, but volumes were light due to a UK public holiday.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed 0.3 percent higher at 1,156.81 points, gaining 2.7 percent for April, while the euro zone's blue chip Euro STOXX 50 index ended up 0.2 percent at 3,011.25 points.
Tokyo stocks climbed 1.6 percent to their highest level since last's month earthquake, helped by better-than-expected domestic earnings and strength in US shares after the Federal Reserve pledged to hold short-term rates near zero.The benchmark Nikkei average closed the day up 157.90 points at 9,849.74 -- the highest since March 11. The broader Topix rose 11.98 points or 1.4 percent to 851.85.
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