Investing.com - Investors shrugged off soft Chinese data and a downgrade in Italy on Monday and continued to go long on U.S. stocks, sending stocks to fresh record highs in quiet trading.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.35%, the S&P 500 index ended up 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.26%.
China's industrial production rose 9.9% in February, below expectations for a 10.5% increase also below a 10.3% hike logged during the previous month.
The news fueled fears that the global economy still faces headwinds, while a firming Chinese consumer price index fanned concerns that Beijing will hold off on stimulus measures.
Consumer prices in China rose by 3.2% in February from a year earlier, above expectations for a 3% increase and accelerating sharply from a 2% rate of increase in January.
Meanwhile in Europe, the Fitch Ratings agency slapped a one-notch downgrade on Italy amid concerns that political uncertainty and recession may delay recovery, which still failed to halt advances in Wall Street, where market participants continue to view stocks as attractively valued.
Stocks also gains on better-than-expected jobs data released on Friday.
The U.S. private sector added 246,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, beating expectations for a 167,000 increase, following January's 140,000 rise.
The headline unemployment rate fell to 7.7% in February from 7.9% in January, beating analysts' calls for the rate to remain unchanged.
The data came a day after the Department of Labor said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits fell by 7,000 to 340,000 last week, defying expectations for an increase of 8,000 to 355,000.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Boeing, up 2.13%, Merck, up 1.61%, and American Express, up 1.25%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included General Electric, down 0.63%, Microsoft, down 0.43%, and Verizon Communications, down 0.33%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished largely lower.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.37%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.10%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.03%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished up 0.31%.
On Tuesday, the U.S. is to publish data on the federal budget balance.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.35%, the S&P 500 index ended up 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.26%.
China's industrial production rose 9.9% in February, below expectations for a 10.5% increase also below a 10.3% hike logged during the previous month.
The news fueled fears that the global economy still faces headwinds, while a firming Chinese consumer price index fanned concerns that Beijing will hold off on stimulus measures.
Consumer prices in China rose by 3.2% in February from a year earlier, above expectations for a 3% increase and accelerating sharply from a 2% rate of increase in January.
Meanwhile in Europe, the Fitch Ratings agency slapped a one-notch downgrade on Italy amid concerns that political uncertainty and recession may delay recovery, which still failed to halt advances in Wall Street, where market participants continue to view stocks as attractively valued.
Stocks also gains on better-than-expected jobs data released on Friday.
The U.S. private sector added 246,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, beating expectations for a 167,000 increase, following January's 140,000 rise.
The headline unemployment rate fell to 7.7% in February from 7.9% in January, beating analysts' calls for the rate to remain unchanged.
The data came a day after the Department of Labor said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits fell by 7,000 to 340,000 last week, defying expectations for an increase of 8,000 to 355,000.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Boeing, up 2.13%, Merck, up 1.61%, and American Express, up 1.25%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included General Electric, down 0.63%, Microsoft, down 0.43%, and Verizon Communications, down 0.33%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished largely lower.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 fell 0.37%, France's CAC 40 fell 0.10%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished down 0.03%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 finished up 0.31%.
On Tuesday, the U.S. is to publish data on the federal budget balance.