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U.S. stock indexes on Friday closed out what has been a stellar start to a calendar year for equity trading. In fact, the roughly 4.3% rise for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and more than 4% rise for the S&P 500 index so far in 2018, represent the best start to a year since 2003, according to WSJ Market Data Group. The Nasdaq Composite Index’s more than 5% advance so far this month, marks the best start to a year since 2004. All three benchmarks finished at all time highs on Friday, along with the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the small-cap focused Russell 2000 index .

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From:: Stock Market News

Major benchmarks closed at records Friday as stocks continued to ride a wave of optimism as fourth-quarter earnings season got underway. Wall Street analysts are projecting another strong cycle of quarterly earnings on the back of a double digit growth in S&P 500 earnings per share. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 228 points, or 0.9%, to close at 25,803, climbing 2% for the week. The S&P 500 climbed 18 points, or 0.7%, to end at 2,786, for a weekly gain of 2%, while the Nasdaq Composite Index added 49 points, or 0.7%, to close at 7,261. The tech-heavy index rose 1.7% for the week.

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A lawyer for President Donald Trump arranged a $130,000 payment to a former adult-film star one month before the 2016 election, as part of an agreement precluding her from discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. People familiar with the matter told the Journal Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen arranged payment to Stephanie Clifford in October 2016. Clifford privately alleged the encounter with Trump took place after they met at a July 2006 golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

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Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.’s credit rating was downgraded two notches into junk status at Moody’s Investors Service, which cited concerns over the drug maker’s sizable debt. The rating agency cut Teva’s senior unsecured rating to Ba2 from Baa3, which is the lowest investment grade rating, and assigned a Ba2 corporate family rating. The outlook is stable. “The downgrade of Teva’s ratings to speculative grade reflects the challenge of managing its significant debt burden while facing a prolonged period of earnings erosion,” said Morris Borenstein, an assistant vice president at Moody’s. “While Teva’s cost restructuring program will help to partially offset declines, execution risk is high.” Teva’s credit is also rated junk at Fitch Ratings, but S&P Global Ratings rates it BBB-, which is its lowest investment grade rating. The stock, which rose 2.2% in afternoon trade, has tumbled 34.5% over the past 12 months, while the SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF has gained 15.7% and the S&P 500 has climbed 22.7%.

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From:: Stock Market News

Oil prices settled higher Friday for a fifth straight session, as declines in U.S. crude supplies continued to boost prices to their highest in more than three years. Prices also posted a gain for the week, their fourth such rise in a row. News that the Trump administration extended sanctions relief for Iran, as expected, and data showing the first weekly rise in active U.S. oil-drilling rigs failed to squash bullish sentiment. February West Texas Intermediate crude rose 50 cents, or 0.8%, to settle at $64.30 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was the highest finish since Dec. 5, 2014 according to FactSet data. It rose about 4.7% for the week.

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Shares of Aflac Inc. tumbled 7.1% in active afternoon trade Friday, enough to pace the S&P 500’s losers, although the insurer said a report that former employees alleged fraud and abuse was “false” and “without merit.” Volume spiked to 10.5 million shares, or more than 6-times the full-day average. The stock, which closed at a record $91.69 on Thursday, pared earlier intraday losses of as much as 8.7%. “Recent media stories regarding Aflac contain false allegations made by a very small group of independent contractors. Aflac intends to aggressively fight these allegations beginning with filing for their dismissal,” the company said in a statement. A report by The Intercept late Thursday said Aflac exploited workers, manipulated accounting and deceived shareholders and customers, citing multiple current and former employees, as well as three previously unreported lawsuits. In Aflac’s response, the company said it has “investigated these claims and found them to be without merit.” The stock has run up 22.6% over the past 12 months, while the SPDR S&P Insurance ETF has gained 12.7% and the S&P 500 had climbed 22.7%.

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Gold futures rose on Friday as weakness in the dollar helped prices finish the week about 1% higher. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.8%, poised for a loss of 0.9% for the week. The dollar softened and some “momentum and positioning for next week” may have given gold an “extra boost,” said Jeff Wright, chief investment officer at Wolfpack Capital. February gold rose $12.40, or 0.9%, to settle at $1,334.90 an ounce, marking the highest finish since Sept. 11, according to FactSet data. The weekly rise was also gold’s fifth in a row.

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From:: Stock Market News