U.S. stocks rallied on Friday to end a rocky month higher, while the Nasdaq Composite also posted its best quarterly gain since 2020. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA jumped about 414 points, or 1.3%, ending near 33,273 on Friday and up 1.9% for the month, according to preliminary FactSet figures. The S&P 500 index SPX and Nasdaq Composite Index COMP posted higher daily gains of 1.4% and 1.7%, respectively, which elevated their monthly gains to 3.5% and 6.7%. Investors in stocks largely looked past turbulence earlier in March after the Federal Reserve acted to calm markets following the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Banks. The Fed opened a new facility for banks to tap for liquidity with the aim of preventing forced asset sales, if other banks experience sharp deposit outflows. Friday also marked the end of the quarter, with the Dow and S&P 500 both posting back-to-back quarterly gains. The Nasdaq booked a 16.8% quarterly gain, the best quarter since the 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
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