S&P 500 scores 5th straight record high ahead of Europe-U.S. trade meeting
Stock-market volatility has dropped this week amid tariff-related developments. Wall Street's so-called fear gauge dropped this week as U.S. stocks continued to set record highs, with investors appearing encouraged in part by the White House's progress on the global trade front.The Cboe Volatility Index VIX saw a weekly decline of 9% to end Friday at 14.93 - the gauge's lowest close since February, FactSet data show.The U.S. stock market saw an "impressive" run of consecutive record highs this week, as investors got more clarity on tariffs against the backdrop of a "nice, solid earnings season" so far for S&P 500 SPX companies, said Chris Haverland, global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, in a phone interview Friday.The S&P 500 booked its fifth straight record closing peak on Friday, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite COMP also notched a new all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA ended just 0.2% below its record close on Dec. 4, according to