Stock indexes closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrials, and Nasdaq 100 reaching 2-week highs. Semiconductor stocks were strong, and energy producers rallied after WTI crude rose. Trading was light due to a technical outage at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which has since been resolved. Market sentiment improved with optimism about a Fed rate cut, with an 83% chance at the December FOMC meeting. Corporate earnings for Q3 exceeded expectations, with a 14.6% rise. Overseas markets also settled higher, with Euro Stoxx 50, Shanghai Composite, and Nikkei Stock 225 closing up. Interest rates and European government bond yields fluctuated, while cryptocurrency-exposed stocks gained.

Read more at Barchart: Stocks Settle Higher as Chip Makers and Energy Producers Rally