U.S. Stocks Finish Higher, Log 3rd Straight Weekly Gain

U.S. stocks closed higher for the fourth straight day Friday as crude oil prices climbed and official data showed jobs growth in February was stronger than economists' expected. The S&P 500 gained 6.48 points, or 0.3%, to 1,999.91. The Dow industrials rose 62.66 points, or 0.4%, to 17,006.77, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 9.6 points, or 0.2%, to 4,717.02. All three indexes have logged three straight weekly gains. Chesapeake Energy Corp. [s:CHK] was the largest gainer on the S&P 500 for a third straight day. Meanwhile, H&R Block Inc. was the worst performer on the index after posting disappointing third-quarter earnings.