S&P 500 Is on Track for Its 50th Record This Year

Stocks rose at the end of their best week in 2024 after solid consumer sentiment data and bets that newly elected President Donald Trump’s pro-growth agenda will keep fueling Corporate America.

Equities advanced for a fourth consecutive session, with the S&P 500 on track for its 50th record this year. The gauge extended its weekly gain to 4.5%. The cohort of defensive shares took the lead on Friday after some groups hit “oversold” levels. The megacap space was mixed, with Tesla Inc. up and Nvidia Corp. down.

STOCKS

A whopping $20 billion flowed into US equity funds on the day Trump claimed victory, according to Bank of America Corp. That was the most in five months, strategist Michael Hartnett said in a note citing EPFR Global. Small caps — which are seen benefiting from Trump’s protectionist stance — attracted the biggest inflow since March.