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It was a quiet day on Wall Street Monday ahead of tomorrow’s one-year anniversary of the bear market low. With no economic data or reports to drive the market and small volume, range-bound trading continued through the day.

The Dow Jones fell 13.68 points, or 0.13%, to 10,552.52, the S&P 500, which had been aiming for its seventh consecutive session of gains, dipped 0.19 points, or 0.02%, to 1,138.50 and the NASDAQ picked up 5.86 points, or 0.25%, to 2,332.21.

In financial stocks, insurance giant AIG rallied 3.6% after saying it would sell its American Life Insurance company to Metlife for US$15.5 billion.

Following last weeks announcement that it had agreed to sell Asian life insurance giant AIA, total revenue from sales is now $51 billion.

It’s still a long way to go for AIG however, with its bailout from the US government topping the US$180 billion mark.

For its part, Metlife spiked 5.1%.

Among the banks, Citigroup was 1.7% stronger, while many of the other major banks trading less than 1% either side of the gain line.

Among tech-stocks, Research in Motion, the marker of the ubiquitous Blackberry, surged 5.6% on a broker upgrade.

Cisco was 3.7% up, itself having received a broker upgrade.

Of the Dow components, McDonald’s led the way, up 2.3%, as the fast-food retailer said same-store sales rose nearly 5% in February.

The retailers were soft, with only Macy’s showing any real movement. Its shares gained 2.9%.

Oil giant Exxon Mobil was flat, nearly mirroring the NYMEX light crude oil for April delivery, which rose just US37c to settle at $81.87 a barrel.

COMEX gold for May delivery fell $10.90 to settle at $1,124.60 per ounce. Barrick Gold was 1.8% below the line.

European Markets

Following strong gains last week most European market were treading water Monday, waiting for fresh leads. Retailers were stronger on the better than expected employment data out of the US, while the normally robust pharmaceutical stocks lost ground.

The benchmark UK FTSE 100 added 6.96, or 0.12% to 5,606.72, while the French CAC40 dipped 6.88, or 0.18% to 3,903.54. The German DAX was virtually unchanged, down 1.45, or 0.02% to 5,875.91.

Among the UK banks, Barclays rose 1.1%. It was alone in positive territory however, with RBS shedding 1.3%, and HSBC and Lloyds both down 0.7%.

On the continent, Societe Generale underperformed other French banks to close 1.4% weaker.

In Ireland, Allied Irish Banks tumbled 7.1% as it continues to post huge losses.

Elsewhere, Metro AG climbed 1.8% as the German retailer’s shares were upgraded.

The heavyweight miners continued to add to gains, with BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto gaining 1.2% and 0.5% respectively.

However, Xstrata eased 0.7% and Anglo American was flat.

Royal Dutch Shell and BP were 0.6% and 0.7% stronger as the price of oil rose, while French oil play, Total, shed 0.4%.

AstraZeneca retreated 1.4% after a cancer drug failed. GlaxoSmithKline eased just 0.2%.

Japanese Markets

Japan’s Nikkei climbed to its highest level in six weeks on better than expected US jobs data and as Greece appears to be closer to being rescued. A weakened yen boosted exporters on a day of broad based gains.

The Nikkei 225 rallied 216.96, or 2.09% to 10,585.92.

Heavyweight banks Mizuho Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ advanced 2.2% and 0.9%.

Automakers Nissan and Toyota jumped 4.7% and 3.5% as the yen reached its lowest level in two weeks against the euro. Mazda added 2.6%.

Sony gained 2.8% to its highest level in 18 months.

The nation’s largest two commodities traders Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsui & Co put on 2.6% and 3.9% following a rise in commodity prices.

Advertiser Dentsu rallied 6% on the back of a rise in monthly revenue. 

On the downside, Fujitsu dropped 2.7% after the company said its former president did not leave for health reasons, as he had previously indicated. The computer-services provider said Kuniaki Nozoe had been asked to resign due to a connection with a certain firm. 

Hong Kong Markets

The Hang Seng climbed to its highest level since mid-January Monday on renewed optimism in the economic recovery.

The Hang Seng rallied 408.90, or 1.97% to 21,196.87.

Clothing maker Li & Fung spiked 4.2%.

Foxconn International, the world’s largest third-party maker of mobile phones, climbed 5%.

The shippers were also stronger, with China Cosco jumping 3.6% after its parent China Ocean Shipping said it was expecting a full-year profit.

Aluminum Corp. of China climbed 4.2%, while copper play Jiangxi Copper spiked 3.8%.

In oil stocks, Petrochina and Cnooc were 2.8% and 2.4% more expensive.

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