A Green Finish

Friday’s session ended with gains. Brands such as Procter & Gamble, JPMorgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, and General Electric stood out among advancers on the Dow. Stocks stepped up on a variety of economic data. Starbucks reported a jump in quarterly earnings. The coffee retailer earned $432.2 million, or 57 cents a share, in the quarter, up from $382.1 million, or 50 cents, a year ago. On another note, new-home sales figures decreased in December. The Census Bureau said new-home sales slipped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000 from an upwardly revised 398,000 in November. Economists had anticipated 385,000 sales for December. Elsewhere, crude oil futures shed 7 cents to settle at $95.88 a barrel.

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