New York Report: US equities continue rally
US stocks ended higher yesterday, extending the rally from Friday as investors hoped that Russia’s move to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine would ease tensions between the two countries.
Earlier in the day, NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned of a “high probability” that Russia, using the guise of a humanitarian mission, could intervene militarily in Ukraine. Ukraine has also said that, contrary to Russian reports of de-escalating, Russia has massed 45,000 troops on its border. Investors did not seem fazed by the reports.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 16.05 points, or 0.10 per cent, to end at 16,569.98, still below its close at the end of 2013. The S&P 500 gained 5.33 points, or 0.28 per cent, to finish at 1,936.92. The Nasdaq Composite added 30.43 points, or 0.70 per cent, to close at 4,401.33.