25 Feb 2012

US index closes high

1:36 pm on 25 February 2012

The S&P 500 index closed on Friday at its highest level since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

The index closed at 1365, up 8.6% for the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 11.17 points, or 0.09%, at 12,973.52. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 6.27 points, or 0.21%, at 2,963.25.

Brent crude oil rose $US1.85 to settle at $125.47 per barrel, its fifth consecutive day of gains.

The European Union has banned imports of oil from 1 July over fears it is developing nuclear weapons.