The potential for regulatory rollbacks injected new enthusiasm for financial stocks, sending major indexes higher Friday. The rise puts the S&P 500 on track to end the week in positive territory. The index of big banks is up 24% since the U.S. election, partly on the belief Mr. Trump will lighten banks’ regulatory load. In earnings news, Visa shares rose 4.5%, leading gains in the S&P 500, after the card company posted a 6.7% rise in fourth-quarter profit from a year earlier. Bank shares were among the best performers in Europe, with the Euro Stoxx Banks index up 1.5%.

Source: Wall Street Journal February 03, 2017 04:38 UTC