Major stock indexes eked out small gains Tuesday after an upturn in technology companies outweighed weakness in other parts of the market, including a drop in airlines.
Stocks rose Thursday morning after an encouraging employment report, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 index above 1,700 points for the first time.
There was no let-up in the flight from stocks and bonds as traders reacted to news that the Federal Reserve could end its massive bond-buying program as next year and as China's manufacturing slowed.