S&P 500 Rises on Global Outlook; Snowstorm Fuels Gas Jump

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose for the first time in three days as optimism global economic growth is accelerating offset disappointing company earnings. The yen weakened against the dollar and gold slipped while natural gas jumped as snow blanketed the U.S. Northeast.

The S&P 500 added 0.3 percent to 1,843.80 by 4:23 p.m. in New York, with more than three stocks rising for every two that fell on U.S. exchanges. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index pared gains after touching a six-year high. Chinese shares jumped 1.8 percent as money-market rates fell the most in four weeks. The yen lost 0.2 percent as the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index extended gains from a five-month high. Gold fell 1 percent as Brent oil snapped a three-day drop. Gas climbed 2.4 percent.