Washington - Major US stock indices gained ground on Thursday in the wake of stock market rallies earlier in the day in Asia and Europe.
The global rally came amid the Spanish government's announcement of its latest austerity plan, as Madrid tries to avoid a full bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 72.46 points, to 13,485.97. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 13.83 points, to 1,447.15. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index leapt 42.9 points, to 3,136.6.
The US currency dipped against the euro to 77.43 euro cents from 77.69 euro cents on Wednesday. The dollar slipped against the Japanese currency to ¥77.6 from ¥77.73.