The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index jumped 0.54% to close at 13,485.97 despite weak figures from the US labour and real estate market. US jobless claims dropped less-than-expected last week while US economic growth for Q2 was revised downward to 1.3% from 1.7%. Moreover, demand for durable goods dropped 13.2% in September compared to a forecast for a 4.7% decline. However, encouraging news from Spain and China buoyed US blue chips. All sectors included in the index surged. The best-performers were technology and financial companies. Shares of Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corp and International Business Machines rose 0.70%, 1.94% and 0.94%, respectively. Among lenders, American Express and Bank of America climbed 0.77% and 1.70%. Oil and gas firms also moved higher, with Chevron and Exxon Mobil adding 0.77% and 0.62%.