
US shares rise as 'fiscal cliff' deal passes
A LAST-minute deal will keep the US from driving off the so-called "fiscal cliff," but higher taxes and continued political fighting in Washington threaten to shake the fragile economy well into 2013.
A bill passed by Congress late on Tuesday averts widespread tax increases and delays deep spending cuts that had threatened to return the country to recession.
Investors around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief after the biggest near-term stumbling block for the world economy had been cleared.
At midday local time on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up a hefty 223 points, or 1.7 per cent.
Broader stock averages also jumped.
Read more at News.com.au
