Thursday

U.S. stocks climbed today for a fourth straight day of gains, as encouraging Chicago-area economic data and a pledge from German banks to support heavily indebted Greece boosted investor sentiment as the second quarter came to a close. More clarity pertaining to Greece has prompted a swift rally this week. German banks agreed today to take part in a new aid program for Greece by accepting longer maturities for bonds that currently are due by 2014, helping the country avoid a default. Also boosting sentiment, a survey of Chicago-area purchasing managers beat economists' expectations handily. The strong figure contrasted with several weeks of tepid economic data. DJIA +152.92 Nasdaq +33.03 S&P 500 +13.23.