Big rally ends big week for stocks

NEW YORK – So much for that soft patch.

A rebound in U.S. manufacturing surprised investors Friday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 170 points. The Dow ended up 648 points for the week – the index’s best week in two years.

The rally started Monday after Nike Inc. reported strong quarterly results. Revenue that beat analyst predictions indicated that shoppers are still splurging on pricier sneakers and sportswear, despite the recent run-up in gas prices. Thursday, Greece cleared its final hurdle before it receives its next round of loans to avoid default on its debt. The same day, a report showed that manufacturing in the Chicago region had picked up unexpectedly.

Friday’s Institute for Supply Management report showed that manufacturing across the country had expanded, reinforcing the growing perception that the slowdown was temporary. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and a number of prominent economists have argued that the economy will pick up again once the effects of the Japan disaster wane and high gas prices recede.

It’s quite a turnaround from May and early June. Many economists and analysts began lowering their estimates for growth in May after a string of negative reports on manufacturing, consumer spending and hiring by private companies. A shortage of computer chips and auto parts from Japan, higher gas prices and severe weather in the South all contributed to what appeared to be a slowdown in the economic recovery. Stocks had lost most of their gains for the year by mid-June.

Todd Salamone, an investment strategist at Schaffer’s Investment Research, said the recent surge in stocks represents an “unwinding of the tremendous negativity that built up over the past few weeks.”

Whether the current rally continues will hinge on next Friday’s unemployment report and the next round of corporate earnings results.