Stocks are ending with modest gains on Wall Street after recovering from an early stumble caused by a poor report on the housing market.The Dow Jones industrial average rose 46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 15,010 Friday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose six points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,663.

The Nasdaq composite rose 19 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,657. The Nasdaq market was shut down most of Thursday afternoon because of technical troubles.

Microsoft jumped after saying Steve Ballmer would retire as CEO.

Bond yields fell and gold rose after a plunge in new home sales shook investors' confidence in the housing recovery.

Two stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was very low at 2.5 billion shares.

 

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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