U.S. stocks closed higher Friday, as Microsoft's stock soared following news that its chief executive Steve Ballmer will retire within the next 12 months. In U.S. economic news, Nasdaq shares gained more than 1 percent, bouncing back from a 3 percent drop Thursday following the trading halt. Late Thursday, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair Mary Jo White said the trading halt "should reinforce our collective commitment to addressing technological vulnerabilities of exchanges and other market participants." The SEC plans to speed up its efforts for new rules to strengthen markets. White said she intends to hold a meeting soon with leaders of the major exchanges and other market participants. In corporate news, Facebook's shares soared more than 5 percent and closed above $40 for the first time ever. Aeropostale shares plummeted after the teen retailer posted weak results. Its poor outlook follows similarly bleak forecasts from rivals American Eagle Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch. Pandora reported strong earnings, but the stock plunged after the online radio company issued softer-than-expected guidance. The dollar lost ground against the euro but gained ground versus the pound and the yen. Light sweet crude oil for October delivery rose $1.39 to $106.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures moved up $25.00 to $1,395.80 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 46.77, or 0.31 percent, to 15,010.51. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6.54, or 0.39 percent, to 1,663.50. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index climbed 19.08, or 0.52 percent, to 3,657.79.
