<p>Despite lackluster economic data, Wall Street stocks posted their best session of the week Friday, with tech shares leading the market higher.</p>.<p>The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 2.3 per cent to 10,913.56, as indices shook off early weakness.</p>.<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 1.3 per cent at 27,173.96, while the broad-based S&P 500 gained 1.6 per cent to 3,298.46.</p>.<p>"The market has been under pressure for a while and is just catching a bit of a bargain-hunting Friday," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities.</p>.<p>Despite Friday's session, both the Dow and S&P 500 closed the week with losses.</p>.<p>US durable goods orders grew by 0.4 per cent in August, below estimates and a much slower level of growth than July's upwardly revised 11.7 per cent increase.</p>.<p>The tepid data add to worries that consumer spending is weakening as progress on another coronavirus stimulus package remains stalled.</p>.<p>Analysts said the market is also becoming more worried about a protracted US presidential election after Donald Trump repeatedly declined this week to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses in November.</p>.<p>Still, large tech shares such as Amazon, Apple and Facebook all gained more than two per cent.</p>.<p>Another big winner was Boeing, which surged 6.9 per cent after Europe's aviation regulator said the long-grounded 737 MAX could be cleared to resume service by the end of the year.</p>.<p>The MAX has been out of service since March 2019 following two deadly crashes.</p>
<p>Despite lackluster economic data, Wall Street stocks posted their best session of the week Friday, with tech shares leading the market higher.</p>.<p>The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 2.3 per cent to 10,913.56, as indices shook off early weakness.</p>.<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 1.3 per cent at 27,173.96, while the broad-based S&P 500 gained 1.6 per cent to 3,298.46.</p>.<p>"The market has been under pressure for a while and is just catching a bit of a bargain-hunting Friday," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities.</p>.<p>Despite Friday's session, both the Dow and S&P 500 closed the week with losses.</p>.<p>US durable goods orders grew by 0.4 per cent in August, below estimates and a much slower level of growth than July's upwardly revised 11.7 per cent increase.</p>.<p>The tepid data add to worries that consumer spending is weakening as progress on another coronavirus stimulus package remains stalled.</p>.<p>Analysts said the market is also becoming more worried about a protracted US presidential election after Donald Trump repeatedly declined this week to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses in November.</p>.<p>Still, large tech shares such as Amazon, Apple and Facebook all gained more than two per cent.</p>.<p>Another big winner was Boeing, which surged 6.9 per cent after Europe's aviation regulator said the long-grounded 737 MAX could be cleared to resume service by the end of the year.</p>.<p>The MAX has been out of service since March 2019 following two deadly crashes.</p>