Markets climb on Bernanke's speech

Bernanke said in a semi-annual speech prepared for the House Committee on Financial Services that bank-to-bank lending rates, at the historic low of zero to 0.25 percent, would remain low "for an extended period."

In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average added 95.68 points, 0.9 percent, to 10,375.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 0.94 percent, 10.30 points, to 1,104.90. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.14 percent, 25.26 points, to 2,238.70.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bill fell 5/32 to yield 3.706 percent.

The euro rose to $1.3546 from Tuesday's $1.35. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 90.21 yen from Tuesday's 90.18 yen.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index lost 1.48 percent, 153.27, to 10,198.83.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 index added 27.83 points, 0.52 percent, to 5,342.92.

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