Most of the Dow stocks are trading in negative area (16 of 30). (18 из 30). Top looser - The Boeing Company (ВА, -1.03%). Top gainer - Microsoft Corporation (MSFT, +9.71%).

S&P index sectors are moving mixed. Top gainer - Utilities (+1,0%). Top looser- Industrial goods (-0.4%).

At the moment:

Dow 18011.00 +30.00 +0.17%

S&P 500 2112.50 +5.50 +0.26%

Nasdaq 100 4531.25 +49.75 +1.11%

10-year yield 1.93% +0.02

Oil 57.19 -0.55 -0.95%

Gold 1175.80 -18.50 -1.55%

Stock indices closed higher, driven by the better-than-expected German Ifo business climate index. German business confidence index climbed to 108.6 in April from 107.9 in March, exceeding expectations for a rise to 108.5. It was the sixth consecutive increase.

"The upswing in the German economy continues," Ifo President Hans-Werner Sinn said.

He added that manufacturers "expressed slightly less optimism about future business developments".

Today's Eurogroup meeting ended without any results as widely expected. Discussions between the Greek government and its creditors will continue at the next Eurogroup meeting on May 11.

The head of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem said today that Greece has to deliver a complete economic reform plan to get a new tranche of loans (€7.2 billion).

Indexes on the close:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 7,070.7 +17.03 +0.24 %

DAX 11,810.85 +87.27 +0.74 %

CAC 40 5,201.45 +22.54 +0.44 %

The Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz expects that Canadian economy starts to grow in the second quarter, benefiting from low oil prices.

"Starting in the second quarter we think the positives will be more important than the negatives and certainly in the second half of the year the shock should be fully behind us," Poloz said on Friday.

The European Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici in Riga on Friday that there is some progress, but the progress is too slow.

"Our message today is very clear: We need to accelerate, we need to accelerate from today," he noted.

The head of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem said at the press conference after the Eurogroup meeting in Riga on Friday that "time is running out". He pointed out that Greece has to deliver a complete economic reform plan to get a new tranche of loans (€7.2 billion).

"A comprehensive and detailed list of reforms is needed," Dijsselbloem noted.

Discussions between the Greek government and its creditors will continue at the next Eurogroup meeting on May 11.

The National Bank of Belgium (NBB) released its business survey on Friday. The business climate rose to -6.2 in April from -6.3 in March, missing forecasts for an increase to -5.8. It was the third consecutive rise.

The increase was driven by much more favourable assessments of total order books. Forecasts for demand and employment were revised downwards.

Entrepreneurs In the business-related services sector are expecting activity to pick up over the next three months.

Business confidence fell in the building sector.

(company / ticker / price / change, % / volume)

The U.S. Commerce Department released durable goods orders data on Friday. The U.S. durable goods orders jumped 4.0% in March, exceeding expectations for a 0.7% increase, after a 1.4% decline in February.

The increase was driven by higher orders for defence aircraft and parts. Orders for defence aircraft and parts soared by 112.8%, while orders for non-defence aircraft and parts climbed by 30.6%.

The U.S. durable goods orders excluding transportation declined 0.2% in March, missing expectations for a 0.2% gain, after a 1.3% decrease in February.

The decline was driven by lower orders for machinery and electrical equipment, appliances, and components.

Upgrades:

Microsoft (MSFT) upgraded from Neutral to Buy at Nomura

Amazon (AMZN) upgrade from Mkt Perform to Outperform at Raymond James

AT&T (T) upgraded from Neutral to Outperform at Macquarie, target raised from $33 to $37

Amazon (AMZN) upgraded from Neutral to Overweight at JP Morgan, target raised from $375 to $535

Downgrades:

General Motors (GM) downgraded from Buy to Neutral at Buckingham Research

Other:

Starbucks (SBUX) target raised from $47.50 to $57 at Oppenheimer, from $50 to $55 at RBC Capital Mkts, from $51 to $59 at Telsey Advisory Group

Microsoft (MSFT) reiterated at Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts, target raised from $47 to $50

Google (GOOG) reiterated at Perform at Oppenheimer, target lowered from $565 to $550

Google (GOOG) reiterated at outperform at RBC Capital Mkts, target raised from $630 to $640

Amazon (AMZN) reiterated at Buy at Cantor Fitzgerald, target raised from $385 to $460

Google (GOOG) reiterated at Outperform at FBR Capital, target raised from $632 to $672

Google (GOOG) reiterated at Overweight at JP Morgan, target raised from $600 to $650

Amazon (AMZN) reiterated at Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts, target raised from $400 to $500

The European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi said on Friday that time was running out in debt talks between Greece and its creditors.

"There can't be an agreement if people don't have an adequate process to assess, quantify policy measures," Mr. Draghi noted.

He pointed out that Greek banks will be supplied with emergency liquidity from the Greek central bank as long as the banks were solvent.

Stock indices traded higher on the better-than-expected German Ifo business climate index. German business confidence index climbed to 108.6 in April from 107.9 in March, exceeding expectations for a rise to 108.5. It was the sixth consecutive increase.

"The upswing in the German economy continues," Ifo President Hans-Werner Sinn said.

He added that manufacturers "expressed slightly less optimism about future business developments".

Market participants are awaiting results of today's Eurogroup meeting. Greece is running out of cash, and it needs a new tranche of loans. Athens and its creditors cannot reach a deal on the economic reforms needed to unlock a new tranche of loans (€7.2 billion).

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble expressed concerns on Friday morning that an agreement between Greece and its creditors will be signed today.

Current figures:

Name Price Change Change %

FTSE 100 7,086.99 +33.32 +0.47 %

DAX 11,808.5 +84.92 +0.72 %

CAC 40 5,209.82 +30.91 +0.60 %

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) President Thomas Jordan said at the central bank's annual general meeting in Bern on Friday that the central bank is ready to intervene in the foreign exchange market.

"The Swiss franc is significantly overvalued overall," Jordan noted. He expects "a correction of this overvaluation". Jordan pointed out that the Swiss franc increased due to the Greek debt problem.

He outlined that the Swiss economy will successfully overcome its challenges, and added that the negative interest rates won't become the "new normal".

"The current low interest rate environment is a temporary phenomenon," the SNB president said.

China's labour ministry released its unemployment data on Friday. China's urban unemployment rate fell to 4.05% at the end of first quarter from 4.1% at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Chinese government aims to create at least 10 million new jobs in 2015 and keep the urban unemployment rate below 4.5%.

HANG SENG 27,825.74 -1.96 -0.01%

S&P CNX NIFTY 8,357.25 -41.05 -0.49%

S&P/ASX 200 5,933.3 +88.53 +1.51%

TOPIX 1,618.84 -6.03 -0.37%

SHANGHAI COMP 4,404.56 -9.95 -0.23%

The European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen said on Thursday that European partners' trust in Greece has decreased, and it is harder to find a solution.

"I am confident that Greece's economic problems are possible to solve if confidence levels rise and everybody does their share," he added.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Thursday that Germany's fiscal consolidation has led to higher growth and lower unemployment. "There is no better alternative to this," he noted.

Schaeuble also said that Germany has to continue to reduce its overall debt to reach the 60% of GDP threshold.

(index / closing price / change items /% change)

Nikkei 225 20,187.65 +53.75 +0.27 %

Hang Seng 27,827.7 -106.15 -0.38 %

S&P/ASX 200 5,844.77 +7.28 +0.12 %

Shanghai Composite 4,414.88 +16.39 +0.37 %

FTSE 100 7,053.67 +25.43 +0.36 %

CAC 40 5,178.91 -32.18 -0.62 %

Xetra DAX 11,723.58 -143.79 -1.21 %

S&P 500 2,112.93 +4.97 +0.24 %

NASDAQ Composite 5,056.06 +20.89 +0.41 %

Dow Jones 18,058.69 +20.42 +0.11 %