US stocks ended slightly higher as upbeat data on sales of previously owned US homes lifted hopes for an economic rebound.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 19.19 points, or 0.22 percent, to end at 8,740.63. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.91 points, or 0.20 percent, to end at 944.78.
The National Association of Realtors said the number of pending sales of previously owned US homes rose 6.7 per cent in April - the biggest one-month gain since October 2001.
Despite the modest rally in the wake of the housing data, investors remained cautious about chasing the markets too high.
Shares in JPMorgan lost 4.46 per cent to $34.50 and American Express fell 4.92 per cent to $24.71 after both groups announced