Updated from 1:50 p.m. EDT
Relatively sparse trading -- buoyed by comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and President Bush as well as some company-specific good news -- pulled the financial sector higher along with the broader market on a choppy Friday ahead of an extended holiday weekend.
Bernanke, while failing to indicate an upcoming interest rate cut in his speech, also said the Fed will "act as needed" to assist the economy. Bush, meanwhile, urged mortgage holders to use Federal Housing Administration insurance while emphasizing that the government has a limited role in bailing out troubled borrowers.
The NYSE Financial Sector Index climbed 141.58 points, or 1.6%, to around 9,011.57 as the KBW Bank Index added 1.3% to 106.03. ...
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| Dow Jones | S&P 500 | NASDAQ | 10-Year Note | |
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