Friday’s session ended mixed. The Dow and S&P 500 closed in the green zone. The Nasdaq shed some points. Pfizer, Hewlett-Packard, and Walt Disney led the Dow’s ascent. Stocks made mixed moves on the last trading day of the best first quarter since 1998. Consumer confidence increased this month. The University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment registered a reading of 76.2 in March. Up from 75.3 in February, economists had anticipated a slight dip to 74.7. On another note, the Commerce Department reported that personal spending edged up 0.8% in February, exceeding an estimated 0.6% rise and adding to the 0.4% increase in the prior month. Additionally, personal income climbed 0.2%, which was shy of an expected 0.4% uptick. Incomes rose 0.2% in January. Elsewhere, crude oil futures tacked on 24 cents to settle at $103.02 a barrel.
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