From Morrison Securities Pty Ltd.

U.S. Stocks

U.S. stocks soared Friday, capping a volatile week, as signs of stabilization in Europe and better-than-expected consumer-sentiment data fueled a second straight day of big gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 259.89 points, or 2.19%, to 12153.68, its biggest gain this month. The rally, which followed a 113-point rise Thursday, helped the blue-chip index nearly to recover what it lost during Wednesday's drubbing.

The surge also pushed the Dow into positive territory for the week, up 1.4%. It marked the average's sixth weekly gain out of the last seven. Walt Disney led the blue chips higher, rising $2.06, or 6%, to 36.70.

The media company's fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped 30%, boosted by strength in its theme-parks and television business segments. All 30 Dow components rose Friday.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 24.16 points, or 1.95%, to 1263.85, led higher by consumer-discretionary, industrial and material stocks. All 10 S&P 500 sectors rose. The index finished the week up 0.9%. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 53.60 points, or 2.04%, to 2678.75. The technology-oriented index finished the week down 0.3%, its second straight weekly decline.

Friday's rally capped a week of alternating bouts of upbeat and depressing news regarding Europe's sovereign-debt crisis. Investors were calmed toward the end of the week as a changing of the guard among Italian and Greek political leadership soothed some fears. Still, a lack of concrete evidence regarding a true resolution to Europe's debt woes has left investors nervous about what looms ahead.

Stocks also got a boost after U.S. consumer-sentiment levels moved higher this month. The preliminary Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index for November hit 64.2, from 60.9 in October. The reading exceeded economists' expectations.


European Stocks

European stocks rallied Friday, as the approval of budget measures by Italy's Senate raised optimism that the debt-laden nation will do what's needed to shore up investor confidence

The Stoxx Europe 600 index gained 2.4% to 240.98, edging up 0.5% for the week. Bank shares posted strong gains, with Dexia SA up 9% and KBC Group NV up 8.8% in Brussels.

Among Italian lenders, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA surged 8.8% and Unione di Banche Italiane SCpa soared 9.3%. The gains buoyed the FTSE MIB index, which rallied 3.7% to 15,778.85 in Milan.

Italy's Senate Friday approved a budget bill that includes new austerity measures. That cleared the way for parliament's lower chamber to pass the law Saturday, and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign. Italy's 10-year bond yield fell 32 basis points to 6.48% in recent action, continuing to push below the critical 7% level.

Another top gainer in Milan was Telecom Italia SpA whose shares rallied 5.3%. Telecom Italia said third-quarter net profit rose to EUR807 million from EUR608 million in the year-ago period, while revenue rose 13%.

The company also confirmed its financial targets. Meanwhile, France's CAC-40 index jumped 2.8% to 3,149.38, with financial shares such as BNP Paribas SA up 5.7% and AXA SA adding 4%. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services Thursday reaffirmed France's AAA credit rating after a technical error suggested it had been cut. Shares of French conglomerate Bouygues SA dropped 9.5% on the heels of a 13.2% fall for broadcaster Television Francaise 1 SA, in which Bouygues is a majority shareholder. J.P. Morgan Cazenove Friday downgraded TF1 to underweight from neutral.

The television broadcaster reported third-quarter results Thursday and said it expects a decline of 1% in 2011 consolidated revenue, due to the uncertain economic climate.

The DAX 30 index advanced 3.2% to 6,057.03. Supporting the German index, shares of insurer Allianz SE rose 5.6%. The group said third-quarter net profit sank to EUR196 million from EUR1.26 billion in the year earlier period as it took impairments of EUR931 million related to investments in the financial sector and Greek debt.

But Allianz stuck to its operating profit target for 2011. In the financial sector, Commerzbank AG gained 5.7% and Deutsche Bank AG rallied 5.8%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index rose 1.9% to 5,545.38. Shares of Lloyds Banking Group climbed 6.1% and Royal Bank of Scotland Group gained 6.4%. Shares of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA rallied 4.9%. The company said it's targeting an operating profit of around GBP1.5 billion for 2015.

Asian Stock Markets

Most Asian stock markets ended modestly higher after choppy trade Friday, rebounding a bit after the recent global selloff as investors watched for further developments in the euro-zone debt crisis. Regional markets took some comfort after Italy successfully concluded a bond auction Thursday, despite concerns over its surging borrowing costs.

Investors were also encouraged by Greece naming former European Central Bank Vice President Lucas Papademos as its next prime minister Thursday.

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average rose 0.2%, South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.8%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tacked on 0.9%, while China's Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1%. India's Sensex fell 1%.

Many recently beaten-down regional exporter and financial stocks pushed slightly higher though buying lacked conviction amid the still-persistent euro-zone worries.

Canon added 2.1% in Tokyo, Samsung Electronics tacked on 5.1% in Seoul, and Li & Fung gained 2.5% in Hong Kong. Sony climbed 2.4% amid bargain-hunting after Chief Executive Howard Stringer said the company is working to produce a "different TV set" to revitalize the troubled division.

But Toyota Motor lost 1.8%, after touching a fresh 15-year low intraday as the auto maker said Thursday that while production in North America will return to normal in the coming week, cutbacks in other markets will continue due to disruption to its parts supplies as a result of the flooding in Thailand.

Embattled Olympus shed 5% after the TSE Thursday put it on a watch list for possible delisting after the company said it won't be able to meet a Monday deadline to report second-quarter earnings results.

South Korean shares outperformed the region after the Bank of Korea kept its key policy rate on hold Friday at 3.25% for a fifth straight month, as expected.

Hynix Semiconductor edged up 0.2% after SK Telecom submitted the lone final bid for a controlling stake in the chip maker worth around $2.8 billion. SK Telecom climbed 3.1%. Esprit rose 4.7% to HK$9.95 in Hong Kong to become the local market's best-performing blue chip, spurred by an exchange filing showing Chairman Ronald Van Der Vis bought 300,000 shares at HK$10.63 each on Nov. 7.

Commodities

Base metals closed higher on the London Metal Exchange Friday, boosted by a stronger euro and a generally lighter market tone heading into the weekend. Flagship copper closed the open outcry session at $7,638 a metric ton, up 2.2% on the day. Lead rose 2.7% at $1,994.50/ton.

Macroeconomic news remained front of center of market focus Friday, with political progress in Italy and Greece boosting sentiment, as well as the euro.

Base metals, which have a wide range of industrial applications, tend to eye macroeconomic news and data for signs of future demand. The metals are also priced in dollars, making them appear cheaper to other currency holders when the greenback softens.

Crude futures rose Friday, settling at the highest level in nearly four months as fears about Europe's debt crisis waned and traders remain focused on falling oil inventories. Light, sweet crude for December delivery settled $1.21, or 1.2%, higher at $98.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange traded 91 cents higher at $114.04 a barrel. Gold futures climbed on upbeat economic sentiment as investors bet leadership changes in the Italian and Greek governments would ease risk of further financial deterioration in the euro zone. The most actively traded contract, for December delivery, rose $28.50, or 1.6%, to settle at $1,788.10 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures rose 1.8% this week.