U.S. stocks ended a choppy session slightly higher on Friday, posting a third consecutive week of gains as investors appeared to shrug off lackluster corporate earnings and mixed economic data. The Dow gained 74, to settle at 17,216, the S&P switched between small gains and losses, but managed to close higher, rising 9 to 2,033 and the Nasdaq ended the day up 17 at 4,887.
As third-quarter U.S. corporate results roll out this week, many investors are putting an increased focus on profit margins as a sign of companies’ ability to propel earnings higher.
Public pension funds from California to New York are cutting investment return predictions to their lowest levels since the 1980s, a shift that portends greater hardships for employees and cash strapped governments as Americans age.
Listen in for much more in A Wall Street Wrap-up.
