Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week. Here's a look at some of our top stories.

The S&P 500 gained nearly 3.9% this week, marking its best performance since November 2023, while the Nasdaq rose 5.2%, and the Dow advanced 2.9%.

The S&P 500 is now just 2% shy of its mid-July record high, boosted by strong consumer sentiment, lower-than-expected jobless claims, and a spike in retail sales.

Softer inflation data also fueled market optimism, strengthening expectations for a modest 25-basis-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve next month. The likelihood of a larger...