Stocks Edge Up After Data, Oil Surge

Fri Jul 30, 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended marginally higher on Friday as conflicting economic reports raised questions about the economy's health, and a surge in oil prices kept investors cautious.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 10.32 points, or 0.10 percent, to close unofficially at 10,139.56. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 1.27 points, or 0.12 percent, to 1,101.70, based on the latest data. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index gained 6.31 points, or 0.34 percent, to 1,887.37.

For the week, stocks rose. The blue-chip Dow average gained 1.8 percent during the week, while the broad S&P 500 index advanced 1.4 percent, and the Nasdaq rose 2.1 percent.

For July, though, it was a different story. Stocks fell. The Dow dropped 2.8 percent during July, while the S&P 500 shed 3.4 percent, and the Nasdaq declined 7.8 percent.

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