Dow Jones Industrial Average Soars Nearly 100 Points, Tops 18,000 After General Electric Co. Rallies 11%

U.S. stocks closed higher Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average leaping more than 100 points, as the industrial sector drove the market higher, led by an 11 percent gain from multinational conglomerate General Electric Company. Market professionals are preparing for a series of earnings reports next week from the financial sector, including banking giants JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.