S&P 500 Caps Longest Weekly Rally Since January 2011 on Economy

U.S. stocks rose for a sixth week, giving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index its longest rally since January 2011, as economic reports beat forecasts and Germany backed the European Central Bank’s bond-buying plan.

Apple Inc., the world’s most valuable company, jumped 4.3 percent to a record and surpassed $600 billion in market value on speculation that production has started on a smaller version of the iPad tablet as well as a new television product. Cisco Systems Inc., the biggest maker of computer-networking equipment, climbed 8.7 percent as profit and sales exceeded analysts’ projections. Sears Holdings Corp., the retailer controlled by Edward Lampert, surged 16 percent after reporting a smaller quarterly loss.