A roundup of trading on major world markets:
NEW YORK - Wall Street stocks have posted solid gains following reports of a new Chinese stimulus plan as investors awaited Wednesday's US Federal Reserve monetary policy announcement.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 100.83 points (0.59 per cent) to 17,131.97.
The broad-based S&P 500 gained 14.85 (0.75 per cent) to 1,998.98, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 33.86 (0.75 per cent) to 4,552.76.
Analysts attributed the rally to reports that the People's Bank of China is providing $US81.4 billion ($A88.1 billion) in liquidity to China's five largest banks.
"There's a report that the Chinese central bank is boosting its stimulus program," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank.
"That, combined with a perception that the Fed may not be in a hurry to raise interest rates," moved markets, he said.
Apple fell 0.8 per cent following reports that its new iPhone models may not be available in China until 2015.
Oil companies rallied as US oil prices jumped nearly $2 a barrel.
Dow member ExxonMobil rose 1.2 per cent, while ConocoPhillips advanced 1.7 per cent.
LONDON - European stock markets have dipped as investors looked ahead to a policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve and the looming referendum on Scottish independence.
However, sterling steadied, while the euro firmed, and the ruble tumbled.
London's benchmark FTSE 100 index shed 0.18 per cent to close at 6,792.24 points, while Frankfurt's DAX index dropped 0.28 per cent to 9,623.93 points and in Paris the CAC 40 fell 0.44 per cent to 4,409.15 points.
"Shares in Europe fell across the board today as investors took a more defensive stance leading into tomorrow's Fed meeting particularly given the reported weak capital flows into China and a further drop in German investor confidence," said Jasper Lawler, an analyst at CMC Markets UK.
Investor sentiment in Europe's biggest economy, Germany, fell for the ninth month in a row in September amid jitters about the economic fallout from global crises, a survey indicated on Tuesday.
HONG KONG - Asian bourses mostly slipped before the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting, and as lingering concerns over Chinese and US economic data weighed on global markets.
US stocks finished mixed on Monday, with investors cautious ahead of the Fed's two-day monetary policy meeting that starts later on Tuesday.
The US central bank might adjust its timing for raising benchmark interest rates, as critics say its nearly six-year-old zero rate policy is feeding asset bubbles and possibly inflation.
The Fed has previously said it would keep interest rates low for a "considerable time" after ending its massive stimulus program, based on continued weakness in the labour market.
A rate increase could hurt Asian markets by making them vulnerable to a sell-off, as the incentive for investors to seek higher yields in regional markets is reduced.
Tokyo fell 0.23 per cent, or 36.76 points, to 15,911.53 and Sydney lost 0.51 per cent, or 28.1 points, to end at 5,445.5.
Shanghai sank 1.82 per cent, or 42.59 points, to 2,296.55 and Hong Kong, which opened only for the afternoon session due to a typhoon, fell 0.91 per cent or 220.98 points to end at 24,136.01.
WELLINGTON - Summerset Group has led the New Zealand sharemarket's benchmark index lower, as the prospect of new rivals weighed on listed retirement village operators.
Stocks with regulatory pressure also fell amid political uncertainty ahead of Saturday's general election.
The NZX 50 Index fell 21.075 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 5189.785 on Tuesday.