The major U.S. stock indices started the week in red territory on Monday, pulled down by a decline in Technology shares. U.S. tensions with North Korea also likely weighed on the market. The next day, many of the same Technology shares that were down Monday, rebounded, which helped the NASDAQ eke out a slight gain. The larger Dow Jones Industrial Average index closed less than a percentage point lower. Financial companies led stocks higher on Wednesday with investors taking bets on an improving economy and corporate profits. Gains continued on Thursday with Consumer stocks taking the lead. In economic news, the U.S. gross domestic product growth rebounded slightly in the second quarter. Real GDP ticked up 3.1%, from 1.2% growth in the first quarter. Additionally, the Department of Labor data showed first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose by 12,000 to 272,000, likely because of the recent hurricanes. Indices ended trading in the green zone on Friday with stocks posting gains on a variety of economic news. Personal income growth dipped to 0.2% from a downwardly revised 0.3% gain in July. On another note, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey fell by 1.7 points to 95.1 in September. Crude oil closed the week at $51.57 a barrel.
