Stocks closed mixed Friday, but ended with notable weekly gains even as the government shutdown dragged on for a third day. Blue chips outperformed with health insurer UnitedHealth Group (UNH) and construction giant Caterpillar (CAT) lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another record closing high.
Indeed, the Dow finished Friday up 0.5% at 46,758. The broader S&P 500 (+0.01% at 6,715) also notched a fresh all-time closing high, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (-0.3% at 22,780) slipped in late-day selling. The three main indexes ended with weekly gains ranging between 1.2% and 1.4%.
