EQUITY MARKETS

US

S&P500 +0.69%(2,367.34); NASDAQ +0.12% (5,845.31); DJIA +0.96% (20,821.76)

This week’s reports:

February’s Markit Manufacturing PMI (prelim.) fell to 54.3 from January’s 55. Markit PMI Composite (prelim.) fell to 54.3 from January’s 55.8. Markit Services PMI (prelim.) fell to 53.9 from January’s 55.6.
February’s Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index rose to 96.3 from January’s 95.7.
January’s New Home Sales rose to an annual pace of 0.555M from December’s pace of 0.535M. Existing Home Sales rose to an annual pace of 5.69M from December’s pace of 5.51M.
Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending February 17th rose by 6K to 244K. Continuing Jobless Claims for the week ending February 10th fell by 17K to 2,060K.
US equities advanced amid gains in utilities and phone stocks and a last-minute surge that saw the Dow Jones adding 77 points in the final hour of trading.
Equities rallied in the last half-hour of trading Friday to recover losses from earlier in the session, as investors set their sights on U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech before Congress next week.