LONDON: U.S. stocks ended Wednesday with modest gains as the main indexes remained stuck in tight trading ranges ahead of the jobs report due on Friday.
The S&P 500 closed 4.47 points, or 0.2%, higher at 2,114.07. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.36% added 64.33 points, or 0.4%, to 18,076.27. The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.45% ended the session up 22.71 points, or 0.5%, at 5,099.23.
Early appetite for U.S. stocks was fueled by positive action in European stock markets, which ended mostly higher. The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged as expected but delivered an upbeat assessment of the effect of its economic stimulus plan and underscored its commitment to its bond-buying program.
