On Wall Street, better-than-expected corporate results and positive retail sales figures helped push the market higher.

The Dow Jones index closed up 0.9% at 11,123.11 points on the back of data from the Commerce Department showing retail sales for March rose 1.6%, higher than the expected 1.2% rise.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 rose 0.6% to 5796.25, held back by further uncertainty over the Greek bailout deal.

Suggestions that the deal breaches European Union rules by offering the beleaguered country loans at below the market rate have once again given investors cause for concern, although the effects did not appear to reach overseas markets.

In Australia, the All Ordinaries Index closed above 5000 points for the second day running, while the S&P-ASX 200 also crossed the line. The All Ords finished the day up 0.1% at 5024.1 points and the S&P-ASX 200 closed at 5001.9 points, up 0.1%.

In the resource sector results were mixed.

Rio Tinto led the market for most of the day, reaching a high of $A81.10, but dropped into negative territory in the last few minutes of trade to close at $80.05, down 5c on yesterday’s trade.

Rio shares rose initially after the company reported first-quarter iron ore production of 43.4 million tonnes, a 39% increase on Q1 2009. This result has raised expected full-year production to 234Mt.

However, reports of Bluescope Steel’s ongoing concerns about Rio’s joint venture with BHP Billiton took their toll on the mining giant.

Despite reports this morning that Bluescope Steel had missed the deadline to formally respond to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission’s investigation into the Pilbara iron ore JV between Rio and BHP Billiton, Bluescope came out to again air its concerns over the deal.

Neither Bluescope nor the ACCC would confirm the company’s contribution to the investigation.

The ACCC is due to release its findings on the JV by May 27.

BHP shares fell 10c to $43.89.

Copper and gold producer OZ Minerals has presented positive first quarter results, pushing its share price up 4.5c to $1.26.

The company reported first-quarter gold production of 41,572 ounces, a significant improvement over the 30,526oz produced in Q1 2009.

However copper and silver production both dropped, copper sitting at 31,909 tonnes, compared to 36,497t in 2009, and silver falling to 202,017oz from 339,937oz.

OZ has maintained its guidance for average copper production for 2010-12 of 100,000-110,000 tonnes per annum, and has boosted average gold production for the period to 110,000-120,000oz per annum.

Over at Macarthur Coal, a revised bid from New Hope Corporation has spiced up the love rhombus between them, Peabody Energy and Gloucester Coal.

New Hope initially approached Macarthur with an offer of 2.7 New Hope shares for each Macarthur share, which was rejected by Macarthur’s board.

The company has now added a cash alternative of $14.50 per share with a $950 million cap into the bargain.

Macarthur has once again rejected the deal, saying it intends to follow through with a shareholder vote regarding its takeover of Gloucester and the associated purchase of a stake in the Middlemount project from Noble Group.

Shares in Macarthur shed 22c to $15.28 today, while New Hope rose 7c to $5.22 and Gloucester gained 15c to $12.20.

Finally, Avoca Resources has completed the compulsory takeover of Dioro Exploration. Shares in Dioro have been suspended from quotation since early March.

Avoca shares closed up 2c at $2.15.