U.S. stocks recorded a week of gains, bouncing back after two weeks of losses. Earnings season got off to an acceptable, if not exactly positive, start. Retail sales were stronger than expected and economic indicators stopped flashing red.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) rose 78.07 points or 0.8% on Friday to close at 9,864.94. For the week, the index gained 4%. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.COMP) gained 15.35 points or 0.7% for the day to close at 2,139.28 and notched a 4.5% gain for the week. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) rose 6.01 points or 0.6% on Friday to close at 1,071.49, a 4.5% rise for the week.

Stay tuned to MarketWatch over the weekend for all the news you need to keep up. Our weekend features will include a look at Google's new cell phone operating system and an examination of how the Securities and Exchange Commission is moving to give individual investors more clout at corporations in which they invest.

Meanwhile, please have a look at our weekly look ahead videos.

Europe's Week Ahead: Philips and Nokia in Focus

Asia's Week Ahead: Bank of Japan in Focus

-- Christopher Noble, assistant managing editor

A surprise winner

U.S. President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary efforts" to strengthen global diplomacy, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday, in a surprise choice that comes less than nine months after Obama took office. The committee said Obama had created "a new climate in international politics." Read more about the Nobel Peace Prize.

S&P 500's time to shine

The S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average are commonly used to measure the performance of U.S. stocks. However, the disparity in their returns this year highlights their different approaches to tracking the market. So far in 2009 through Wednesday's close, the S&P 500 had posted a year-to-date gain of 17.1%, handily outpacing the Dow's 10.8% rise. That performance gap is due to several key methodology differences. Find out what's behind the divergence.

Strong kickoff to earnings season

Aluminum giant Alcoa (AA) reported a surprise third-quarter profit, ending three straight quarters of losses. Aided by stronger aluminum prices and improved demand, Alcoa said it expects global aluminum consumption to grow 11% for the last six months of the year compared to the first half of 2009. Read more about Alcoa's results.

Gold rush

Gold prices, which just reached a new record high above $1,060 an ounce Thursday, will top $2,000 in a decade, according to Jim Rogers, a famed investor known for his bullish calls on commodities. Rogers, speaking Thursday at the sidelines in a conference held by ETF Securities in New York, said gold prices will keep rising as a protection against a weaker U.S. dollar. Read more about what he said.

Wynn or lose

When gambling, the old maxim is always bet with the trend. By that rule of thumb, Friday's initial public offering in Hong Kong of casino operator Wynn Macau should be a sure dud. In the past few weeks, six IPOs have fizzled in their debuts. But casino companies have a special place in the hearts of Asian investors, so when the Wynn Resorts shares (WYNN) start trading, a trend-breaking rally is entirely possible. Read David Callaway's column on Wynn Macau.

Rich IPOs

Spanish banking giant Grupo Santander raised $8 billion from selling a 16% stake in Banco Santander Brasil (BSBR) in an initial public offering in Brazil and the U.S., while Verisk Analytics (VRSK) raised $1.9 billion in a busy Wednesday for IPOs. Shares of Banco Santander Brasil closed at $13.01 on their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, 3% below their offer price. Read more about the latest market debuts.

Pre-holiday cheer

U.S. retailers, helped by a later back-to-school start and some signs of economic improvement, delivered better-than-expected September sales Thursday, giving hope that business may be picking up heading into the crucial holiday selling period. From Target (TGT) and Kohl's (KSS) to J.C. Penney (JCP) and TJX (TJX) , several retailers raised their third-quarter or second-half profit outlooks after their sales turned out better than expected. Read about the latest sales results.

Kindle's shrinking price tag

Amazon.com (AMZN) cut the price of its Kindle electronic-book reader for the second time this year, as competition continues to grow in the fledgling e-book category. The retailer said this week that it cut the Kindle's price by $40 to $259. The move comes just three months after the company slashed the price tag of the device by $60 -- equating a total price reduction of 28% during that period. Read more about Amazon's move.

Resignation at France Telecom

The head of France Telecom's (FTE) French operations, Louis-Pierre Wenes, announced his resignation as a wave of employee suicides has brought heavy criticism on the company's management. Reports indicate that 24 staffers have committed suicide over the past 18 months, and unions have said that a restructuring of the company has played a role. Read more about the troubles there.

The $1 trillion question

Americans may be wary of the eye-popping figures the federal government paid out in an effort to keep the recession from freefalling into a depression. But in the context of health reform, close to a trillion dollars may not be strong enough medicine over the next decade to extend coverage to the uninsured and make health insurance affordable for people who soon may be required to have it, some experts say. Read more about the cost of reform.

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