T he S&P 500 index rose 3.7% this week in a broad climb that helped the market benchmark end the trading month with a November gain. The S&P 500 closed Friday's session at 6,849.09, marking a 0.1% increase from where it started November. This marks a significant turnaround in a short time -- just a week ago, the S&P 500 had been down 3.5% for November. The index is now up 16% this year. The climb came in an abbreviated week as the US stock market was closed on Thursday and had a shortened...

The S&P 500 index fell 1.95% this week in a technology-led decline as the September unemployment rate came in higher than expected. The market benchmark ended Friday's session at 6,602.99. It is now down 3.5% for November but up 12% for the year. September payrolls in the US rose by 119,000, more than the 51,000 increase expected, but roughly equal to the typical expansion of the labor force in any month. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, the highest since October 2021, while Wall...

The S&P 500 index edged up 0.1% this week as gains led by health care and energy stocks slightly outweighed declines in sectors including consumer discretionary and utilities. The market benchmark ended Friday's session at 6,734.11 and is still in the red for November with a month-to-date drop of 1.6%. The index is up 14% for the year. This week featured the end of a 43-day government shutdown, the longest federal closure in US history. While the government has reopened, investors are still...