Morning Report: US sharemarkets were firmer on Friday

By Tom Piotrowski | More Articles by Tom Piotrowski

Traders cited an easing of concerns on whether the Federal Reserve will scale back (taper) its bond buying this year. Investors now look ahead to a gathering of world central bank leaders in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the coming week. The Dow Jones index rose by 226 points or 0.7%. The S&P 500 index rose by 0.8% and the Nasdaq index added 173 points or 1.2%. Over the week, the Dow fell by 1.1%; S&P 500 lost 0.6%; and the Nasdaq lost 0.7%.