US stocks finished stronger on Friday as Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) and major home builders advanced on positive brokerage comments and investors bet that the economic recovery will be strong enough to sustain corporate profits.
The Dow Jones industrial average hit a fresh 11 month high – it was up 36 points to 9,820. The S&P500 Index added 3 points to 1,068 and the NASDAQ rose 6 points to 2,133.
LONDON - European stock markets ended narrowly mixed on Friday in the absence of fresh economic data, with investors consolidating substantial gains made over the week as the underlying trend remained positive.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading shares edged up 8.94 points, or 0.17 per cent, to 5,172.89.
FRANKFURT - The DAX declined 27.31 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 5703.83.
PARIS - The CAC 40 index closed down 7.43 points, or 0.19 per cent, at 3827.84.
The Australian share market may open higher after US stocks rallied on Friday.
But gains in Australian equities may be capped after commodity prices including oil, gold and copper declined. At 0654 AEST on the Sydney Futures Exchange, the December share price index contract was up seven points at 4690.
In news on Monday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases its new motor vehicles sales data for August.
Gold down $3.20 to US$1010.30 an ounce Silver down 20c to US$17.065 an ounce Copper down 11.1c to US$2.785 a pound
