US sharemarkets closed firmer on Monday as traders switched focus from geopolitical concerns to earnings results. The Dow Jones index rose by 184 points or 0.9%. The S&P 500 index rose by 0.9% while the Nasdaq gained almost 52 points or 0.9%.
In US economic data, the National Association of Home Builders index eased from +71 to +68 in April (forecast +70). The New York Federal Reserve manufacturing index eased from +16.4 to +5.2 in April (forecast +15).
* The Chinese economy grew by 6.9% over the year to March, (forecast +6.8%). Industrial production rose 7.6% over the year (forecast 6.3%) and retail sales rose 10.9% (forecast 9.6%).
* European sharemarkets were mostly closed on Monday. On the Thursday before Easter the Euro STOXX 600 index fell by 0.4%, the UK FTSE fell by 0.3% and the German Dax lost 0.4%. In London trade on Thursday, shares in Rio Tinto fell by 0.8% while shares in BHP Billiton rose by 0.1%.
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