Stocks end strong week with advance

NEW YORK -- Wall Street capped a week of big gains with another sizable advance Friday after investors set aside anxiety over news the economy lost jobs last month and focused on Microsoft Corp.'s bid for Internet company Yahoo Inc. and a possible rescue plan for the troubled bond insurance sector.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index each rose more than 4 percent for the week, their steepest gains since March 2003.

Stocks fluctuated at times Friday, however, as investors weighed seemingly contradictory readings on the economy. Wall Street was pleased by Microsoft's $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo. But the mix of economic news reminded investors of the continuing fallout from the housing and mortgage crisis.