There were signs that US lawmakers were making progress on a reported US$2.4 trillion stimulus package that could be voted on next week.
Shares of Apple (+3.8%) and Amazon (+2.5%) both lifted. Boeing shares surged 6.8% on reports the US aviation regulator plans to test-fly the grounded 737 Max plane. Cruise operators Carnival (+9.7%) and Royal Caribbean (+7.7%) jumped after a Barclays upgrade. But Costco Wholesale shares dropped 1.3% on rising COVID-19 costs.
The Dow Jones index rose by 358 points or 1.3%. The S&P500 index was 1.6% higher and the Nasdaq index rose by 241 points or 2.3%. Over the week, the Dow fell 1.7%; the S&P 500 lost 0.6%; but the Nasdaq rose 1.1%.
