U.S. Stocks Rise to Prevent Longest S&P 500 Slump Since 2001

U.S. stocks rose for the first time in seven weeks, preventing the longest losing streaks for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average since 2001, as concern about the American economy ebbed even as the Greek debt crisis deepened.

Home Depot Inc., McDonald’s Corp. and Microsoft Corp. advanced more than 2.4 percent this week to lead gains in the Dow after reports on jobless claims, retail sales and housing beat economist estimates. VF Corp. jumped 12 percent after agreeing to buy Timberland Co., while J.C. Penney Co. surged 15 percent after hiring an Apple Inc. vice president as its chief executive officer. Owens-Illinois Inc. fell 13 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after cutting its profit-margin forecast.