The stock market extended its winning streak to four days as investors returned their focus to U.S. economic policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly slipped into the red late in the session during a speech by President Obama calling for further action on banking regulation, health-care reform, and other issues. However, it recovered to end with a modest gain, up 9.45 points, or 0.1%, at 10402.35. The Dow rose in every session of the holiday-shortened week, ending with a 3% weekly gain. Most of the gains came on Tuesday as investors shifted their attention away from a simmering debt crisis in Greece and toward increasing signs that a recovery is taking hold in the U.S. That trend continued on Friday following the Federal Reserve's move to increase the discount rate on emergency bank loans. Most investors interpreted the increase as a sign of strength in the U.S. economy, since banks are no longer in need of extraordinary measures put in place at the height of the financial crisis.[Read more...]