U.S. Stocks Retreat After Early Advance Sent S&P 500 to Record

U.S. stocks retreated, with health-care and technology shares leading losses after the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index rose to a record earlier amid optimism about the economy. The S&P 500 lost 0.3 percent at 1,865.79 at 4 p.m. in New York. The gauge climbed 1.3 percent this week and earlier today rose above its previous intraday record of 1,883.57 reached March 7. Trading in S&P 500 stocks was 42 percent above the 30-day average...

U.S. Stocks Advance on Economy Optimism as S&P 500 Nears Record

U.S. stocks advanced, with the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index poised for its biggest weekly jump in a month, amid investor optimism in the strength of the world™s largest economy.The S&P 500 added 0.2 percent to 1,876.51 at 9:30 a.m. in New York. The gauge has climbed 1.7 percent this week and closed within six points of its record reached March 7. The Dow Jones Industrial...

European Stocks Little Changed After Confidence Report, Witching

European stocks were little changed, with the Stoxx Europe 600 Index posting its biggest weekly gain in five weeks, as consumer confidence increased more than forecast, while derivatives contracts expired. Rio Tinto Group rose 1.6 percent as copper rebounded. Commerzbank AG climbed 2.5 percent as Morgan Stanley upgraded its rating on the German lender. Havas SA lost 1.8 percent after posting 2013 profit that fell short of analysts™...

U.S. Index Futures Rise as S&P 500 Heads for Best Week in Month

U.S. stock-index futures advanced, indicating that the Standard & Poor™s 500 Index will rise for a second day as it heads for its biggest weekly jump in a month.Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd. surged 37 percent in early New York trading after saying it remains in talks about a potential debt restructuring. Yelp Inc. rose 2.6 percent after partnering with advertising platform YP. Symantec Corp. slumped 10 percent after firing its...