Stocks end higher; S&P 500 nabs biggest weekly gain of year

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks closed with solid gains Friday, handing the S&P 500 SPX, +0.71% its largest weekly advance of 2014. Investors shrugged off worries about New York’s first Ebola case, which had weighed on U.S. stock futures. Sentiment got a lift from stronger-than-anticipated housing data and better-than-expected quarterly results from companies such as Procter & Gamble Co. PG, +2.32% The S&P 500 finished up 13.75 points, or 0.7%, to 1964.57, according to early data. The benchmark rose 4.1% for the week, snapping a four-week losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.76% advanced by 127.51 points, or 0.8%, to close at 16,805.41 on Friday, according to early data. It gained 2.6% for the week, also halting a four-week losing streak. Read the full story here.