Stocks End the Week Higher, S&P at Record High

U.S. stocks finished the week and the month with solid gains, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 closing at an all-time high for the second straight day, even as Friday’s rally gave way to choppy trading alongside rising concerns over the situation in Ukraine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 49.06 points, or 0.30%, to 16,321.71, gaining 1.4% on the week and nearly 4% over the month. The S&P 500 was up 5.16 points, or 0.28%, at 1,859.45, gaining 1.3% for the week and 4.3% for the month. The Nasdaq Composite closed was off 10.81 points, or 0.25%, to 4,308.12, but still was 1.1% higher on the week and up 5% for the month.

A Ukraine official on Friday said Russian aircraft carrying around 2,000 Russian troops landed at a military air base near the regional capital of Ukraine’s Crimea region, Agence France Presse reported.

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals (AUXL) beat analysts’ Q4 expectations but guided in line. Revenue totaled $125.9 million, about $14 million above analysts’ consensus. That was down 27% from the year-earlier quarter. Earnings, excluding such one-time items, rose 26% to 27 cents a share, beating estimates by 5 cents.

Mattel Inc., the world’s largest toymaker, agreed to buy Mega Brands Inc. for $460 million, acquiring the biggest challenger to Lego A/S in the construction-toy market.