US stocks post gains

U.S. stock indexes shot up Tuesday as the U.S. Commerce Department said factory orders rose 3 percent in February. In Europe, statistical agency Eurostat said unemployment in February rose from 10.8 percent to 12 percent. Markit Economics said Britain's manufacturing sector remained in a slump but U.S. investors shrugged off those reports. By close of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average added 89.16 points, or 0.61 percent, to 14,662.01. The Standard and Poor's 500 index gained 8.08 points, or 0.52 percent, to 1,570.25. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.48 percent, adding 15.69 points, to 3,254.86. On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,460 stocks advanced and 1,563 declined on a volume of 3.2 billion shares traded. Ten-year U.S. treasury bonds fell 7/32 to yield 1.86 percent. Against the dollar, the euro fell to $1.282 from Monday's $1.2849. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 93.42 yen from 93.24 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index shed 1.08 percent, 131.59 points, to 12,003.43. In London, the FTSE 100 index gained 1.23 percent, 78.92 points, to 6,490.66.