Overnight: US stocks rose, aiming for fresh record closes after better-than-expected reports on consumer sentiment, employment and Chicago-area business...

Overnight: US stocks rose, aiming for fresh record closes after better-than-expected reports on consumer sentiment, employment and Chicago-area business conditions. Treasury prices fell after a stronger-than-expected report on Chicago-area business activity. Gold futures pared gains as traders mulled the metal's appeal against a backdrop of rising US consumer sentiment and declines in durable-goods orders and a Chicago's business gauge. Oil futures dropped after data from the US government showed a 10th weekly rise in crude supplies. UK stocks were mostly higher, with the positive trading mood fueled by data confirming growth in the country's economy, and with mining firms tracking metals prices higher. European stock markets climbed, with Frankfurt's DAX 30 index ending at an all-time high after upbeat German consumer-confidence data and better-than-expected economic reports from the US. London BHP up 0.16%. Rio 0.93%. New York BHP down 0.58%. Rio up 1.45% LME Base metals traded lower across the complex.