Global Stocks

European stocks finished with gains on Monday, helped by Italian banks after that country's government stepped in to shut down two failed lenders, and as Nestlé SA rallied after a hedge fund snapped up a big stake in the consumer-products giant.

The Dow industrials on Monday ended a string of daily losses at four, but the Nasdaq Composite faltered, putting pressure on the broader market. For the first half of 2017, the benchmark S&P 500 is on track to advance about 9%, with some analysts suggesting that the second half will likely be positive as well.

Global shares were higher in Asia-Pacific trade Tuesday, lifted in part by a stronger U.S. dollar, though markets in Australia bucked the trend due to declines in utility and mining stocks. Spot gold prices were recently down 0.2%, extending losses after Monday's flash crash, which was caused by suspected human error. It plunged 1% shortly after the opening call in London on Monday and traded about 1.8 million troy ounces in a minute, "which is more than the volumes traded seen during recent global risk events," noted ANZ Research.