U.S. stocks end higher as Dow, S&P 500 score third straight weekly gain

U.S. stocks ended slightly higher Friday, booking a third straight week of big gains, spurred by hopes for a soft landing for the U.S. economy, and the prospect of interest-rate cuts arriving during the first half of 2024.

How stock indexes traded

For the week, the Dow climbed 1.9%, the S&P 500 increased 2.2% and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.4%. In the past thee weeks, the Dow gained 7.8%, the S&P 500 rose 9.6% and the Nasdaq jumped 11.7%.

What drove markets

Major…