S&P 500 gains as bank earnings start strong

By  Trend

The S&P 500 rose on Friday after major U.S. banks kicked off the fourth-quarter earnings season with strong results, making investors more confident about heady valuations after a recent market rally, while the Nasdaq closed at a record, Reuters reported.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 5.34 points, or 0.03 percent, to 19,885.66, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 4.2 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,274.64 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 26.63 points, or 0.48 percent, to 5,574.12.