U.S. markets break pattern, head higher

NEW YORK, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. markets pulled away from a two-day slide Wednesday, after major boards in Asia and Europe closed lower for the second consecutive day.

The TAIEX index in Taiwan rose 0.37 percent, while the Bovespa index in Brazil gained 0.08 percent. But those were rare exceptions, as markets fell in China, Japan, India, Germany, France and Britain.

In Dubai, where a $59 billion debt crisis jolted markets in late November, the Dubai Financial Market's headline index dropped 6.4 percent Wednesday.

By close, however, U.S. markets bucked the trend. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.5 percent, 51.08 points, to 10,337.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 4.01 points, 0.37 percent, to 1,095.95. The Nasdaq composite index gained 0.49 percent, 10.74 points, to 2,183.73.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,644 stocks advanced and 1,344 declined on a volume of 4.1 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bill fell 10/32 to yield 3.427 percent.

The euro rose to $1.4728 from Tuesday's $1.4704. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 87.85 yen from Tuesday's 88.35 yen.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index lost 1.34 percent, 135.75, to 10,004.72.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 index dropped 0.37 percent, 19.24, to 5,203.89.