NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — U.S. stocks ended a strong week on a low note Friday as ongoing concerns about the European debt crisis overshadowed a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 20 points, or 0.2%, to close at 11,103. The S&P 500 (SPX) lost 9 points, or 0.8%, to 1,155. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite (COMP) dropped 27 points, or 1.1%, 2,479.

Despite the poor performance Friday, all three indexes posted gains for the week. The Dow rose 1.7%, the S&P 500 added 2.1% and the Nasdaq rose 2.6% over the last five days.

The gains were driven largely by speculation that European leaders are warming to the idea of pumping more money into troubled banks. On Thursday, the European Central Bank announced plans to increase the flow of capital to the banking system.

All three major U.S. indexes were up slightly Friday after a hellish Thursday that saw the Dow Jones industrial average drop 391 points. The Dow was up about 32 points or 0.3 percent in afternoon trading Friday.

All week, traders have been stung by worries that the economy is headed for another recession. European leaders seem unable or unwilling to solve the debt crisis that threatens some of its biggest financial institutions. In the U.S., Republican and Democrats remain in a stubborn standoff that could force the government to shut down.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks ended a volatile quarter on Thursday with their biggest four-day rally since September as positive economic data and a temporary resolution of Greece’s debt crisis indicated further gains in July.

Midwest business activity showed surprising strength this month, lifted by a jump in new orders, the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said. That helped calm concerns about the economy that have weighed on markets for two months.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Despite posting decent gains during Friday’s session, stocks finished a choppy week of trading lower, as investors remained on edge in the wake of a massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan that have added to concerns over conflict in North Africa and the Middle East.

The Dow and S&P 500 fell more than 1%, while the Nasdaq sank almost 2.5% during the week.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Food prices have been rising worldwide, as the cost of raw materials and agricultural products surge, contributing to political unrest around the globe.

In December, international food prices broke an all-time high when they rose 25% for the year, led by rising costs for staples like rice, wheat, and maize, the United Nations reported.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The Corn Belt was the real estate place to be in 2010.

Land prices in the states centered on Iowa grew at a 15% to 20% clip, annualized, over the last six months of the year, according to Creighton University economist Ernie Goss.                   Prices were sent soaring by higher commodity prices, as crop failures in some food-exporting countries boosted the demand for U.S. grains and soybeans.

The government said late Monday it had reached a deal to sell its remaining holdings of Citigroup common stock and would end up turning a profit of $12 billion on its bailout of the giant bank.

The Treasury Department said that a final offering of about 2.4 billion shares of Citigroup Inc. common stock had been priced at $4.35 per share.

With the proceeds of the sale, the government will have realized $57 billion on its bailout package for the big bank.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Ford Motor reported its first full-year profit since 2005 and said it expects to be profitable again in 2010.

The automaker, which has outpaced the turnaround at both its domestic and some overseas rivals, said Thursday that it earned $2.7 billion in 2009. The company was helped by special items that added $2.6 billion to its bottom line during the year.

NEW YORK – JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Friday announced a record $9.3 billion payday for its investment-banking employees, setting the stage for competitors like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to also make eye-popping payouts.

On a per employee basis, JPMorgan investment bankers, sales staff and traders, on average, are set to make about $379,000 for 2009, up more than $100,000 from 2008, when the broader financial sector was mired in crisis.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks were poised for a mixed start Thursday as investors awaited some reports on the labor market.

Dow Jones industrial average futures were lower, while Nasdaq-100 and S&P-500 futures were up slightly.

Futures measure current index values against their perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins.

Stocks rose Wednesday as the falling dollar boosted commodity stocks, and a rise in wholesale inventories and an upgrade of 3M provided some optimism.

NEW YORK (Fortune) — Are cash-strapped American consumers on for another date with energy price misery?

The U.S. economy remains weak and one in six Americans can’t find enough work. Yet oil prices have risen steadily this year. A barrel of crude costs $79 and change, more than double its price at the end of 2008.

This year’s runup pales in comparison to the one that peaked last summer above $145 a barrel. Even so, some researchers warn we could once again be approaching the point at which rising energy costs will squeeze consumers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Last week’s big selloff did more than just rattle investors: it put an end to a seven-month win streak that had pushed the S&P 500 more than 60% above the March lows.

While the monthly decline was small — less than 2% — it emerged after a tumultuous week dictated by a stronger dollar, sliding energy and financial issues, and a variety of quarterly financial reports. A stronger-than-expected rise in third-quarter GDP growth — the strongest sign yet that the recession is over — provoked a one-day rally and nothing more.