Euro falls on debt fears, Wall Street up on data
US stocks rose on Tuesday, boosted by swift steps toward formation of a new Italian government and stronger-than-expected reports on the US economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 17.18 points, or 0.14 percent, to 12,096.16. The S&P 500 rose 6.03 points, or 0.48 percent, to 1,257.81. The Nasdaq Composite added 28.98 points, or 1.09 percent, to 2,686.20.
Europe's blue-chip gauge closed lower, with French banks weighing amid growing fears the euro zone's second-largest economy will be sucked into a sovereign debt crisis.
The European index of top European shares ended 0.5 percent lower at 970.17 points, after trimming losses in the afternoon on the back of better-than-expected retail data from the United States.
The Nikkei stock average fell in thin trade to hover just above 8,500, and market participants said it was unlikely to push higher as rising bond yields in euro zone nations fuel concerns about Europe's ability to contain its debt crisis.The Nikkei average fell 0.7% to 8,541.93, holding above 8,500 throughout the session but giving back much of the previous day's gains. The broader Topix index lost 0.7% to 730.91.
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