US stocks closed higher, helped by firm data

Better-than-expected numbers on US consumer incomes and spending gave Wall Street shares a boost on Friday, as investors shrugged off saber rattling over Ukraine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 58.83 points (0.36 percent) to 16,323.06. The broad-based S&P 500 added 8.58 (0.46 percent) at 1,857.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite gained 4.53 (0.11 percent) to 4,155.76. Consumer incomes and spending both rose 0.3 percent in February, numbers that beat forecasts though were still fairly tepid. Microsoft led the Dow 30 with a 2.2 percent gain as its new version of its Word software for Apple iPad tablets soared to the top of the charts at Apple's online App Store. ExxonMobil added to Thursday's gains with a 1.5 percent rise, which came after Merrill Lynch upgraded its call on the company to a buy. Blackberry shares took a 6.2 percent fall after reporting a $423 million loss for its fourth quarter, though that was less than expected. Shares in software maker Red Hat fell 7.1 percent on a dimmer forecast for 2014, despite beating expectations with a 4.9 percent gain in fiscal fourth quarter profits. And better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings driven by the housing sector comeback at home decoration chain Restoration Hardware helped its shares add 12.8 percent. Bond prices slipped. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.72 percent from 2.67 percent late Thursday, while the 30-year yield rose to 3.55 percent from 3.51 percent. Bond prices and yields move inversely, according to AFP.