NEW YORK: World equity markets rose for a fourth day on Friday but the quarter was set to finish in the red for a gauge of world stocks and other assets as fears of an early withdrawal of US monetary stimulus spiked volatility and weighed on markets.

The broad S&P 500 index was flat, while better economic data from Japan and efforts by China's central bank to ease credit concerns gave other equity markets support. MSCI's world equity index rose 0.3 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 60.98 points or 0.41 percent, to 14,963.51, the S&P 500 lost 1.56 points or 0.1 percent, to 1,611.64 and the Nasdaq Composite added 9.91 points or 0.29 percent, to 3,411.77.

Markets were volatile as the second quarter drew to a close as investors pondered the likely impact of an end to the era of easy money from the Federal Reserve and other central banks that has been instrumental for rallies in various markets.