All three major U.S. stock indexes ended the week of Aug 16 on a positive note. The S&P 500 and the techheavy Nasdaq Composite posted modest gains on Friday, advancing 0.2% and 0.21% respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 96.7 points, or 0.24%. This uptick follows a period of heightened volatility as investor sentiment has improved in response to favorable economic data. July's retail sales figure surpassed market expectations, highlighting strong consumer spending activity. Simultaneo ...