• The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 152.45 points, or 0.61 percent, to 25,075.13, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 10.93 points, or 0.40percent, to 2,723.99 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 12.38 points, or 0.18 percent, to 7,077.92.
The Dow industrials broke above the 25,000 level for the first time on Thursday and other major indexes hit closing record highs again, propelled by strong global economic data that extended the New Year’s rally for the stock market.
• The Cboe Volatility Index .VIX, better known as the VIX and a popular options-based gauge of expected near-term price volatility, closed at9.22. The index has been flirting with record lows in recent months.
• Financials led gains on the S&P 500 on Thursday, with Wells Fargo (WFC.N) up 1.3 percent, JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) up 1.4 percent and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) also up 1.4 percent.
• Credit Suisse raised its price targets on six banks, while Goldman Sachs also had a bullish note on U.S. bank stocks.
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• Asian markets tracked stateside gains on Friday after the Dow Jones industrial average hit a major milestone. Markets in the region had traded at or around multi-year highs in the prior session, with Japan's benchmark index hitting a 26-year high at 23,506.33, its highest close since Jan 7, 1992, and the Hang Seng Index touching a decade-high at 30,515.31, earlier touching its highest levels since 2007.
• Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index tacked on 0.61 percent in early trade, extending gains of more than 3 percent seen in the previous session when it touched levels not seen in 26 years. The rally saw most sectors, including automakers and financials, in positive territory.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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