LONDON (ShareCast) - - Nasdaq above 3,000 for first time in over a decade
- Markets await FOMC and Bernanke comments
- Retail sales boost stocks

Dow Jones: (+0.92%) 13,079
Nasdaq: (+1.13%) 3,017
S&P 500: (+0.98%) 1,384

With retail sales increasing at the fastest rate in five months, US stocks surged on Tuesday ahead of the a statement by the Federal Reserve. The Nasdaq was trading above the 3,000 level for the first time since 2000.

Investors are awaiting the outcome of the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in the US, at which policy makers are expected to keep key interest rates unchanged.

“The safest action for the time being may be to just stand pat, and this is justified by reference to the fact that inflation expectations are still very low and appear to still be ‘well-anchored’,” point out the analysts from Cumberland Advisors.

Meanwhile, retail sales increased by 1.1% in February, up from a 0.6% rise the month before, according to the Commerce Department.

In other news, Treasury bond yields have hit their highest levels in 2012.

Gains were helped by the German economic expectations index compiled by ZEW which jumped to its highest level since June 2010. The index rose to 22.3 in March from 5.4 the month before, compared with the consensus estimate of 10.

EQUITIES

AT&T said orders for the new model of the Apple iPad, which the US telecoms network will start selling from Friday, March 16th, have already exhausted its initial inventories. The stock, along with consumer electronics giant Apple which released the new version of its wildly popular computer tablet last week, was making gains.

Computer giant Dell was up 1% after signing a definite agreement for the acquisition of data protection company SonicWall, expected to allow the group to offer its customers a wider range of security software and services.

Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, rose after rejecting a deal with Indian biotechnology company Biocon for the commercialisation of insulin drugs in global markets such as the US.

BC

S&P 500 - Risers
United States Steel Corp. (X) $28.06 +6.33%
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $27.10 +4.92%
E*TRADE Financial Corp. (ETFC) $10.04 +4.80%
F5 Networks Inc. (FFIV) $131.64 +4.60%
Masco Corp. (MAS) $12.60 +4.52%
Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) $38.20 +4.17%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $8.41 +4.08%
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT) $56.71 +4.06%
Monster Worldwide Inc. (MWW) $9.30 +3.91%
JDS Uniphase Corp. (JDSU) $13.87 +3.90%

S&P 500 - Fallers
Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) $27.95 -5.29%
Altria Group Inc. (MO) $29.99 -1.48%
Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) $55.17 -1.04%
CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) $44.92 -0.97%
Macy's Inc. (M) $39.21 -0.93%
FirstEnergy Corp. (FE) $44.78 -0.76%
Windstream Corp. (WIN) $12.05 -0.75%
Kroger Co. (KR) $24.21 -0.70%
Walgreen Co. (WAG) $33.40 -0.68%
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) $84.19 -0.67%

Dow Jones I.A - Risers
Alcoa Inc. (AA) $10.17 +3.04%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $111.88 +2.70%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $43.35 +2.39%
United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $85.71 +2.05%
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) $21.96 +1.95%
Bank of America Corp. (BAC) $8.15 +1.94%
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DD) $52.15 +1.86%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $41.28 +1.83%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $27.42 +1.61%
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) $24.42 +1.58%

Dow Jones I.A - Fallers
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $70.01 -0.20%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $38.10 -0.01%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $27.10 +4.92%
Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) $38.20 +4.17%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $125.60 +3.74%
Nll Holdings Inc. (NIHD) $16.70 +3.73%
Hologic Inc. (HOLX) $21.29 +3.55%
Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $42.85 +2.71%
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) $74.63 +2.51%
Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT) $23.42 +2.36%
Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) $78.99 +2.29%
NetApp Inc. (NTAP) $43.49 +2.26%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) $27.95 -5.29%
Warner Chilcott Plc (WCRX) $16.84 -1.58%
Qiagen N.V. (QGEN) $14.75 -1.34%
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ADS (TEVA) $44.33 -0.92%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $27.67 -0.77%
Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) $87.21 -0.67%
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) $46.00 -0.35%
Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) $54.71 -0.31%
Life Technologies Corp. (LIFE) $45.74 -0.31%
Cintas Corp. (CTAS) $39.38 -0.10%

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