Investing.com – U.S. stock markets rose on Thursday as German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday said she would support a joint EU-IMF financial aid package to Greece, and on upbeat data on U.S. unemployment claims.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.59%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.59% and the Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.78%.
Among stocks in focus, Best Buy rose 7.92% after the U.S. electronics chain reported strong fourth quarter sales growth.
Earlier in the day, Merkel said: "I propose a combination of IMF and bilateral aid as a last resort, in a situation where Greece can't raise any money."
The German leader made the comments to reporters ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.
Also Thursday, a Labor Department report showed that the number of U.S. workers claiming unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to its lowest level since December 2008 last week.
Across the Atlantic, equity markets also advanced: France’s CAC 40 was up 1.03%; Germany's DAX rose 1.24%; Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.62%; and the EURO STOXX 50 rose 1.13%.
Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday that record-low interest rates were still needed to spur the U.S. economic recovery.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.59%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.59% and the Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.78%.
Among stocks in focus, Best Buy rose 7.92% after the U.S. electronics chain reported strong fourth quarter sales growth.
Earlier in the day, Merkel said: "I propose a combination of IMF and bilateral aid as a last resort, in a situation where Greece can't raise any money."
The German leader made the comments to reporters ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.
Also Thursday, a Labor Department report showed that the number of U.S. workers claiming unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell to its lowest level since December 2008 last week.
Across the Atlantic, equity markets also advanced: France’s CAC 40 was up 1.03%; Germany's DAX rose 1.24%; Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.62%; and the EURO STOXX 50 rose 1.13%.
Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee on Thursday that record-low interest rates were still needed to spur the U.S. economic recovery.