U.S. Markets

Investors were waiting to see if currency issues will be discussed at a meeting of finance chiefs from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Japan on Friday and Saturday

Treasury prices dived this week, leading yields to log their largest weekly gain since November, as investors sold U.S. government bonds bracing for an increased probability that the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates in June.

U.S. stocks closed higher Friday as fears of a June Federal Reserve rate-hike eased following a Thursday selloff. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65.54 points, or 0.4%, to close at 17,500.94, but was down 0.2% for the week for a fourth straight week of losses. The S&P 500 Index climbed 12.28 points, or 0.6%, to close at 2,052.32, snapping a three-week losing streak for a 0.3% gain. The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 57.03 points, or 1.2%, to finish at 4,769.56, snapping a four-week losing streak to rise 1.1% on a weekly basis.

Oil prices post gains for the week as traders focus on supply disruptions, but prices settled lower for Friday’s session.

Gold futures close at their lowest level since late April to tally their second straight weekly loss.

Another day, another successful test of the S&P 2,040 support. Consider that the S&P 500 closed Thursday at 2,040.04 — amid a rotational sub-sector backdrop — and the successful retest preserves a bullish-leaning technical bias.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday, recovering some of the losses that were triggered by rate hike fears. The main indexes were on track to end the week roughly where they started. The S&P 500 was up 7 points, or 0.3%, to 2,046. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 37 points, or 0.2%, to 17,478 at the open. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite began the session up 21 points, or 0.5%, at 4,735.

The stock market is flirting with a fourth straight down week, and the bears have plenty of reasons why the S&P is doomed — such as the unusual U.S. presidential race. What’s an investor to do? Our call says it’s too soon to panic.