Business and Finance
Stocks hit new highs for the year, commodities prices rose and the dollar slipped as traders focused on signs of economic growth in Asia and Fed chief Bernanke's commitment to low interest rates. The Dow industrials rose 136.49 points, or 1.3%, to 10406.96. Gold climbed to $1,138.60.</br></br>Bernanke warned that unemployment, tepid lending and troubles in commercial real estate will weigh on recovery. He also said the Fed is watching the dollar's trajectory.</br></br>---</br></br>The New York Fed caved in to demands by AIG's trading partners that they be paid in full for complex securities they had insured with the firm, a government audit found.</br></br>---