U.S. stocks eased on Tuesday as a jump in bond yields hit utilities and other top dividend payers, but energy gains and optimism Greece is near a deal with creditors limited losses.

Last July, when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen spurred a sell-off in healthcare stocks by saying that valuations in shares of biotech companies looked "stretched," portfolio manager Graham Tanaka saw an opportunity.

European shares dipped on Tuesday while German bond yields rose, with investors scrabbling for clarity over whether a high-level meeting on Greece's debt crisis might herald a significant breakthrough.

U.S. stocks ended with modest gains on Monday, recovering part of last week's losses in a session marked by cautious trading as investors reacted to mixed economic data.

Equities will be the riskiest asset class this year and through the next decade, but will also offer the highest returns and attract the biggest allocation boost from investors, a poll predicted on Monday.

European shares rose on Monday, helped by an almost five percent rally in Chinese stock markets and rumours of progress in Greece's debt talks that halted sales of the euro.

U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday as data showed the economy contracted in the first quarter but indexes still posted gains for the month.

India's plans to allow domestic firms to raise rupee-denominated debt abroad for the first time are being eclipsed by the rising cost of funds in international markets, making it harder for cash-starved businesses to take advantage of the relaxed rules.

The dollar inched higher on Friday, putting it on track for a monthly rise in May, while Chinese shares steadied after a plunge a day earlier that stoked concerns about the financial health of the world's second largest economy.

The euro rose on Thursday as Greece fought to reach an agreement with its lenders to avoid an imminent default, but mixed signals on the state of the negotiations kept other markets little changed.