US stocks have risen despite a series of uneven data and corporate earnings reports that included a big disappointment from oil giant ExxonMobil.
Strong US housing data, mediocre jobless claims figures and mixed earnings, spelt a choppy day of trade that ended with the Dow Jones Industrial Average posting triple-digit gains.
At the close, the Dow was up 113.90 points, or 0.87 per cent, to 13,204.62.
The broad-based S&P 500 rose 9.29 (0.67 per cent) to 1,399.98, while the tech-rich Nasdaq added 20.98 (0.69 per cent) to 3,050.61.
“Despite some disappointing US earnings and economic data, the domestic equity markets are grinding higher,” said analysts at Charles Schwab shortly before the close.
There was a mixed start to trade, as Exxon announced its earnings fell 11 per cent to $US9.5 billion ($A9.19 billion) amid lower production.
Exxon shares fell almost one per cent by the end of trade.
But the market received some strength from news that pending US home sales rose in March, pointing to a continued recovery in the housing market.
“The major averages advanced as an increase pending homes sales offset a slightly higher-than-expected weekly initial jobless claims report,” said Wells Fargo analysts.
Amid the major beneficiaries Wal-Mart Stores leaped nearly three per cent, while Chevron was up 2.3 per cent.
US Airways, General Motors, American Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, Ford, Target and Coca-Cola were all up over one per cent.
On the bond market, the yield on 10-year treasuries fell 0.03 points to 1.96 per cent. The 30-year was down 0.01 points to 3.14 per cent. Yield and prices move in the opposite direction.