US stocks have their best week so far this year

Associated Press
In this image provided by the NYSE, Shutterstock’s Chief Technology Officer, James Chou, joined by members of the company’s leadership team and Fast Company’s Associate Editor, J.J. McCorvey rings the opening bell at The New York Stock Exchange in New York City. (AP Photo/NYSE, Ben Hider)

NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing out its best week of the year as investors react to better earnings from U.S. companies.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose eight points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 1,838 Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 126 points, or 0.8 percent, to 16,154.

The Nasdaq composite edged up three points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,244.

Campbell Soup rose 4 percent after the company reported that its latest quarterly profit and revenue came in above Wall Street's expectations.

Weight Watchers International plunged 25 percent after reporting a big drop in earnings.

The S&P 500 index climbed 2.3 percent this week, the biggest gain so far this year. Investors liked what they heard earlier in the week from incoming Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.