PM ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.33%, the S&P 500 gained 0.39%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.60% ...

EDT, the S&P 500 rose 0.46%, the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.77%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.31%.

The Australian sharemarket climbed to its highest point since mid-February, boosted by the big four banks and energy stocks.