US stocks end higher following economic readings

US stocks end higher following economic readings : Wall Street ended a volatile week with a moderate gain Friday after better-than-expected economic data placated a market pummeled a day earlier by concerns about housing and the financial sector. Financials fell on continued worries about souring loans, while a surge in profits at Juniper Networks Inc. lifted technology stocks. The Commerce Department's report on June home sales helped investors shake off some early uncertainty. The government said sales of new single-family homes fell by 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 530,000 units; the market expected sales to total 505,000. That report helped offset concerns raised by a weak reading on existing home sales on Thursday. And there was good news about consumers, whose shyness about spending has troubled... [read full story]