US stocks end week higher
By DPA, IANSFriday, February 18, 2011
NEW YORK - US markets ended the week higher Friday, led by gains by major companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The blue-chip Dow is at its highest level in two and a half years. The gains Friday were led by Caterpillar, Travelers and Chevron. Other major stock indices closed with only modest gains after trading in the negative for much of the day.
The markets reacted little to the start of a Paris meeting of finance ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies. French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged more global cooperation, warning that focusing on national interests would mean “the death” of the G20.
The Dow gained 73.11 points, or 0.59 percent, to 12,391.25. The broader Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose 2.58 points, or 0.19 percent, to 1,343.01. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index added 2.37 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,833.95.
For the week, the Dow climbed 0.96 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.04 percent, and the Nasdaq was up 0.87 percent.
The US currency fell against the euro to 73 euro cents from 73.49 euro cents Thursday. The dollar dropped against the Japanese currency to 83.31 yen from 83.65 yen the previous day.
