New York  - US stocks posed strong gains Wednesday on better- than-expected data from the US housing, manufacturing and auto sectors.

Sales of existing homes climbed 2.1 per cent in February from the month before, according to the National Association of Realtors, another small sign that the housing downturn that sparked the US economic crisis may be bottoming out.

The Institute for Supply Management's factory index gained for the third consecutive month, though the index at 36.3 still remains far below the dividing mark of 50, which marks the balance between contraction and growth.

US car sales fell more than 38 per cent in March compared to a year earlier, but carmakers pointed out that the month was still an improvement from February.

The positive US news comes as world leaders gathered in London for a summit of the Group of 20 countries to forge measures to overcome a global recession.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 152.68 points, or 2.01 per cent, to 7,761.6. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 13.21 points, or 1.66 per cent, to 811.08. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was up 23.01 points, or 1.51 per cent, to 1,551.6.

The US currency edged up against the euro to 75.57 euro cents from 75.47 euro cents on Tuesday. The dollar slipped against the Japanese currency to 98.72 yen from 98.82 yen. dpa