U.S. stock prices rose on many of the world's markets Tuesday after a report that troubled Citigroup posted its best financial performance in more than a year in the first two months of 2009.

It used to be that after a particular stock dropped into the single digits, investors just stopped caring. The company was delisted from its corresponding exchange and relegated to the indignity of trading on the pink sheets. Then, maybe seven years later, some headline declaring the company's bankruptcy would hit, you'd scratch your head and say "Hmmm. Didn't that stock used to trade at $70? I can't believe it took them this long to go bankrupt" (i.e. Lucent).

The Australian share market has closed higher because of gains in the banking and resources sectors. The All Ordinaries Index was up 86 points to 6,593 and the ASX 200 added 88 points to 6,533.

The benchmark BSE Sensex ended 36 points down on selling by funds, particularly in banking stocks after ICICI Bank posted lower-than-expected fourth quarter earnings.