U.S. stocks close higher

U.S. stocks ended higher on Friday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 149.6 points, or 0.29 percent, to 52,637.01. The S and P 500 added 31.75 points, or 0.42 percent, to 7,575.39. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased by 74.72 points, or 0.29 percent, to 26,281.61.

Ten of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors ended in green, with materials and communication services leading the gainers by adding 1.12 percent and 0.92 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, health bucked the trend by going down 0.81 percent.

U.S. stocks close higher

International gold and silver prices both dropped on Friday.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for August delivery fell 0.65 percent to settle at 4,113.70 U.S. dollars per ounce, while silver futures for September delivery dropped 0.96 percent to close at 60.165 dollars per ounce.

Gold, silver futures drop on Friday