US stocks rose for the ninth straight week driven by a more accommodating Fed, easing US China trade tensions and better than feared corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and Dow gained 0.6% for the week. Internationally, Europe was up 0.6% and Japan surged 2.5% for the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was unchanged over the week ending at 2.66%.
Trump announced that the deadline to impose tariffs of Chinese goods has been extended given progress in negotiations between the countries.
The Fed minutes showed most officials were ready to end the reduction of its $4 trillion bond portfolio this year. They also debated whether they should hold tight at the current Fed Funds rate, or consider another increase this year.
Existing home sales fell 1.2% in January from December. The third consecutive month of declining sales.
US business investment fell for a fourth time in five months at the end of 2018.
Eurozone manufacturing had its first downturn since 2013.
With 90% of S&P 500 companies reporting, earnings are up 13% from a year earlier.