Stocks rally on robust Chinese imports

S&P 500 firms likely to snap nine quarters of declining profits

LONDON: Stocks and commodities gained and the dollar fell after China's imports rose to a record. The rouble rallied the most in a decade against the dollar as Russian markets opened for the first time this year.

The MSCI World Index of 23 developed nations' stocks climbed 0.8 percent to its highest level since September 2008 at 10:24 am in London. Futures on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 0.5 percent. Copper increased 2.6 percent and aluminum added 2.8 percent. The dollar weakened against 15 of the 16 most-traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The rouble rose as much as 2.7 percent.