Afternoon Markets: World stocks rise on fresh hopes for company profits

Strong third-quarter results for Dutch lighting-to-healthcare conglomerate Philips helped to boost shares in US rival General Electric, which dominated the gainers on Wall Street, up 1.7% to $16.46. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6% to 9,925.4, with oil majors gaining on higher crude prices. Chevron rose 1.7% to $73.99, while Exxon Mobil gained 1.4%. JP Morgan shares fluctuated in early trade, losing 0.4% ahead of its financial results later in the week. Investors are hoping that its position as lead equity underwriter this year will offset losses on credit cards and c...