U.S. stocks rose and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index approached a nine?month high as companies from Motorola Inc. to MasterCard Inc. posted better?than?estimated results and jobless claims held below June levels. Treasuries gained on a  better?than?forecast auction of seven?year notes.

Applications for jobless benefits rose by 25,000 to 584,000 in the week ended July 25, compared with more than 600,000 claims every week last month. The total number of people collecting unemployment benefits decreased for a third week.

Higher metals prices helped propel a measure of raw?material companies up 3 %, the steepest gain among the 10 main industry groups in the S&P 500.

About three out of every four companies in the S&P 500 that released results since June 17 have exceeded analysts’ second? quarter profit estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

General Electric Co. advanced 6.9 % for its steepest gain since April on speculation new banking rules will let the company keep its finance unit. GE, which makes everything from jet engines to medical imaging machines, was also upgraded to “buy” from “neutral” at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Treasuries rose after the highest seven?year note yields in more than a month bolstered demand at the government’s auction of a record $28 billion of the securities. The debt drew a yield of 3.369 %, below the median forecast of 3.394 % in survey of eight of the Federal Reserve’s primary dealers.

China may cut new loans by half in the last six months of this year on concern a rally in the nation’s stocks has grown too fast, according to former Morgan Stanley chief Asian economist Andy Xie. China’s banking regulator said yesterday it plans to tighten rules on work capital loans, seeking to prevent misuse of funds. China’s stocks rose for a second day, with the Shanghai Composite climbing for a seventh straight month, as higher commodity prices spurred advances by rawmaterials
producers.

Japan’s unemployment rate rose to a six?year high in June and consumer prices fell at a record pace, adding to evidence the domestic economy is struggling to recover even as exports start to improve. The jobless rate advanced to 5.4 % from 5.2 % in May, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo.

Asian stocks climbed, sending the MSCI Asia Pacific Index to a fifth monthly gain, as better?than? expected earnings and a rally in commodities lifted confidence the global economy is headed toward recovery. (dpa)