Stocks end higher, with Dow now up on the week

NEW YORK (MarketWatch)
U.S. stocks on Thursday finished with a second day of gains as investors continued to bank on at least a short-term fix to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff
"I'm still expecting a deal," said Ed Yardeni, chief investment strategist at Yardeni Research Inc., of efforts to avert automatic spending cuts and tax increases slated to begin in the new year
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 36.71 points, or 0.3%, to 13,021.82, leaving it 0.1% ahead on the week, with one session remaining
The S&P 500 index climbed 6.02 points, or 0.4%, to 1,415.95
The Nasdaq Composite advanced 20.25 points, or 0.7%, to 3,012.03