US stock market ready to close week with gains

FILE - In this March 14, 2014, file photo, trader Gregory Rowe, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. World stock markets bounced back Friday March 21, 2014 as upbeat U.S. economic data helped shake off worries about future increases in U.S. interest rates. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market looked ready to finish off a turbulent week with solid gains, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index was on track to close Friday at an all-time high.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,882 as of 11: 30 a.m. Eastern time. If that gain holds through the close of trading, it would mark an all-time high for the index. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 119 points, or 0.7 percent, to 16,451. The Nasdaq composite slipped three points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,316.

COMPARE, CONTRAST: It might sound surprising that the stock market is trading at an all-time high with all the uncertainty surrounding China's slowing growth and simmering tensions between Russia and the West. But these concerns also highlight the relative health of the U.S. economy and stock market, said Dan Veru, chief investment officer of Palisade Capital Management in Fort Lee, N.J.

"In a perverse way, these geopolitical issues drive home the fact that the U.S. has been overlooked. The U.S. was the first major economy to go into recession, and it's the first major country coming out of recession right now."

COMING BACK: A week ago, the S&P 500 index turned in a 1.9 percent weekly loss, its worst slump in nearly two months. This week looks entirely different, with the S&P 500 on track to gain 2.1 percent, as concerns have eased over China's slower economic growth.

The only stumble came Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve said it could start raising short-term interest rates as soon as next year. Traders drove down prices for gold, government bonds and stocks.

GOLDEN GATE'S TOUCH: News that Golden Gate Capital has acquired a stake in Ann Inc. shot the retailer's stock up $5.20, or 15 percent, to $42.43. The private equity firm disclosed the 9.5 percent stake in the parent company of Ann Taylor and LOFT late Thursday.

SWOOSH: Nike fell after warning that a stronger U.S. dollar will dampen its results this quarter. Strong demand for its shoes and apparel ahead of the World Cup in June helped its beat expectations in the previous quarter, the company said late Thursday. Nike, one of the 30 stocks in the Dow, lost $2.50, or 3 percent, to $76.77.

BOOTED: Symantec slumped $2.85, or 14 percent, to $18.08. The maker of security software abruptly fired its CEO late Thursday. It was the second time in less than two years that the company has dismissed its chief executive.

OVERSEAS: European indexes closed slightly higher. Germany's DAX rose 0.2 percent and Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.1 percent. Russia's stock market sank 1.3 percent.

In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.2 percent. China's Shanghai Composite Index rose 2.7 percent. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.

TREASURYS AND COMMODITIES: Prices for U.S. government bonds were little changed. The yield on the 10-year government was 2.77 percent. The price of crude oil rose $1.15 to $100.05 a barrel. Gold gained $5.60 to $1,336.10 an ounce.