Strong Caterpillar earnings lead Dow higher (AP)

NEW YORK - Caterpillar led the Dow Jones industrial average higher Friday after the company reported a gain huge first quarter of the revenues.

Large manufacturer most of construction and mining equipment increased 2.5% after that its earnings more than quintupled. The company also raised sales and profits forecast for the year.

The Dow Jones index added 4 percent in April, its best month since December.

The Dow Jones index increased 47.23 points Friday, or 0.4%, to close at 12,810.54. Caterpillar represents 21 points of these gains. The company has exploded over the past year by booming demand for its products.

"The industrial sector and the manufacturing of this country are much higher that many investors have seen," said Rob Lutts, President and CEO of Cabot money management investment.

The standard & poor 500 index increased 3.13 points, or 0.2 per cent, to close at 1,363.61. The index gained 2.8% in April.

Added Nasdaq composite 1.01 point to 2,873.54. It increased by 3.3% for the month.

The Nasdaq and the S & P 500 had their best month since February.

Of the main index stock markets pushed strong corporate profits 2011 skyrocketed in the last week of the month. On Wednesday, the & S P 500 doubled, rising from its 12-year low reached on March 9, 2009 after the financial crisis. The Nasdaq is at its highest level since 2000.

The Russell 2000 small stocks index also reached a record on Wednesday after the Fed is committed to maintain interest rates in the short term at record lows. That motivated investors continue to buy risky as small stock investments.

The Russell exploded 77 per cent over the past two years. Small company stocks tend to rise more quickly that the whole of the market as the economy emerges from recession. Investors also see them as targets occasions likely for large companies which are full of cash. The Russell rose 3.74 points, or 0.4%, to 865.29 Friday.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has increased by 12%, most of any company in the standard & poor 500 index, after he set a turnover, recorded and reversed its loss from the first quarter of last year.

Coinstar Inc. increased 5% after the owner of Redbox DVD rental kiosks posted an increase of 32% of its net income.

Research In Motion Ltd. has dropped from 14% after the author of the BlackBerry reduced its forecast of sales and revenues because of weak sales of phone.

The dollar dropped to a minimum of three years against an index of six major currencies. It is 7.6% lower this year.

The dollar was sinking against other currencies which have interest rates higher than the low to the United States of the United States interest rates also encourage investors to borrow in dollars to buy investments denominated in foreign currencies, which also grows the lower dollar.

Two stocks rose for all those who have fallen on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was $ 3.7 billion shares.