U.S. equity indexes end modestly higher as banks and materials buoy stock market

U.S. stock indexes end modestly higher Thursday, shaking off a final reading of a economic growth for the last three months of 2018 that was cut to 2.2% from 2.6%. Gains for equity markets come amid a steadying of government bond yields and purported progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 92 points, or 0.4% to 25,717. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index added 0.4% to 2,815, buttressed by a 1% gain in materials stocks and a 0.8% advance for S&P 500 financial institutions, according to FactSet data. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.3% to 7,669. The 10-year Treasury note yield rose to 2.39%, edging up but still near a 15- month low. A so-called inversion of the rate between the 3-month Treasury bill and the 10-year, has raised the specter of recession on Wall Street. A so-called inverted yield curve is widely viewed by economists as an accurate predictor of coming economic recessions. In corporate news, investors were awaiting a initial public offering of ride-sharing startup Lyft Inc. , which is set to make its public debut on Friday after pricing later Thursday. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal and other outlets reported that Beijing is willing to make significant concessions about stricter intellectual property rules as negotiates between top-level China and U.S. officials are in their final stages. Friday marks the end of trade in the first quarter and a fresh round of earnings from U.S. companies

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