AI enthusiasm and easing Middle East tensions lift S&P 500 to eighth straight weekly gain

U.S. stocks finished the week higher on Friday, putting the S&P 500 on track for its eighth straight weekly gain, the longest run since 2023, as investors continued to buy into artificial intelligence-related companies and took comfort from hopes of easing tensions in the Middle East. The broad rally came ahead of a long holiday weekend and extended a market advance that has shown unusual staying power over the past two months.