On the global front: US mkts end higher; NASDAQ up 2.7% while Asian markets trading firm; Nikkei up 2.2%.

On the global front: US mkts end higher; NASDAQ up 2.7% while Asian markets trading firm; Nikkei up 2.2%. Despite a slow, choppy start, the US markets ended the day higher. As investors were encouraged by JP Morgan's results and techs rallied amid anticipation of better results from Google. JP Morgan Chase rose 2.1% after the bank reported its earnings which were better than expectations. In economic news, initial jobless claims fell for the second straight week to 610,000. However, continuing claims continued to rise & topped 6 million for the first time. And housing starts dropped 10.8% in March after a 17.2% rise in February. Meanwhile, foreclosure activity leapt 46% in March from a year earlier. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 95.81 points, or 1.2%, at 8,125.43. The S&P 500 index gained 13.24 points, or 1.6%, to 865.30, and the NASDAQ composite index added 43.64 points, or 2.7%, to 1,670.44.