Banks, communications stocks lead small gains on Wall Street
(WorldNews Business)

Major U.S. stock indexes edged higher in afternoon trading Friday as solid earnings from banks helped extend momentum from the previous day`s rally. State Street and Citizens Financial were among the latest banks to report encouraging results in a week of solid reports from larger financial institutions. Investors were also digesting the latest government housing data which showed a December surge in new home construction. The news sent homebuilder shares broadly higher. The latest bright sign on the economy follows Thursday´s solid retail sales report, which revealed consumers are still spending at a healthy pace. Technology stocks also made big...