Brands Gain

Friday’s trading session ended with gains. Stocks such as Alcoa, American Express, Home Depot, and UnitedHealth led the ascent. Brands rebounded from early losses after Congressional leaders reported progress in talks with President Barack Obama about reducing the government’s budget deficit. Crude oil futures tacked on $1.05 to settle at $86.92 a barrel. On another note, industrial production declined 0.4% in October following a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in September. In earnings action, Sears Holdings dipped today after reporting quarterly details late yesterday. The department store operator posted a loss of $498 million, or $4.70 a share, on revenue of $8.86 billion, following its year-earlier loss of $421 million, or $3.95, on revenue of $9.41 billion.

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