Stocks Ended Higher on Upbeat Earnings

U.S stocks ended higher on Friday, buoyed by better-than-expected corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 183.96 points, or 0.75%, to 24,737.20. The S&P 500 gained 22.43 points, or 0.85%, to 2,664.76. The Nasdaq Composite advance 91.40 points, or 1.29%, to 7,164.86. For the week, all three equity benchmarks were mostly flat.

Oil futures ended higher Friday for a second straight session, supported by supply concerns tied to Venezuela, but a hefty weekly rise in U.S. crude supplies helped to keep prices lower for the week. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery rose 56 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $53.69 a barrel. The contract was down 0.7% for the week. March Brent crude rose 55 cents, or 0.9%, to $61.64 a barrel, but prices still saw a weekly loss of about 1.7%.