US stocks bounced back from a string of declines on Friday, on track to close their strongest quarter in more than two years on a positive note. Despite falling six out of the last nine sessions, the S&P 500 remains up 12.1 percent for the first quarter. It could be the best start to the year since 1998 and the index's best quarter since the third quarter of 2009.
Apple shares ranked among the day's losers and curbed gains of both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500. Still, the iPhone maker's stock is up almost 50 percent this quarter - its best such period in seven years. The S&P consumer staples sector index rose 0.7 percent and the S&P consumer discretionary sector index added 0.4 percent.
The S&P technology sector index, up 21 percent this quarter, was the only one among the S&P's top 10 sectors to trade lower for the day. The index was off 0.1 percent. The S&P health-care sector index was up 0.8 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 66.90 points, or 0.51 percent, to 13,212.72. The S&P 500 Index gained 6.32 points, or 0.45 percent, to 1,409.60. The Nasdaq Composite edged up 3.70 points, or 0.12 percent, to 3,099.06. At midday, Apple was down 1.4 percent at $601.25.
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