The chief executive of Chesapeake Energy Corp., under fire for taking a $75 million bonus while the company was losing billions, on Friday defended his leadership at one of the nation’s largest natural gas producers.

TV shows were replaced by the hiss of static in perhaps 1 million U.S. homes Friday as stations ended their analog broadcasts and abandoned the transmission technology in use for decades.

The stock market’s rally is on hold and it’s not clear what might get it moving again. Stock indicators barely budged this week after big gains in the prior week. The Dow Jones industrial average did manage to push into the black for the year with a modest gain on Friday but many traders are still cautious.

The stock market’s rally is on hold and it’s not clear what might get it moving again. Stock indicators barely budged this week after big gains in the prior week. The Dow Jones industrial average did manage to push into the black for the year with a modest gain on Friday but many traders are still cautious.

Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE:

The Dow moved into positive territory for the year for the first time since early January on Friday, lifted by defensive sectors like pharmaceuticals while a disappointing outlook from National Semiconductor weighed on technology stocks.

Shares of Stifel Financial Corp. rose Friday after a Goldman Sachs analyst added the financial services company to a special list of top picks, saying Stifel is positioned for strong growth.

SATURDAY, June 13 LECCE, Italy — Finance ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations gather to take stock of progress in combating the global financial crisis.

Shares of Cheesecake Factory Inc. jumped nearly 4 percent Friday after an Argus Research Co. analyst upgraded the stock to “Buy” from “Sell,” largely on the restaurant operator’s success in cutting costs.

Airline shares were mostly lower Friday as oil prices took a breather and slid lower and the overall market declined. Benchmark crude for July delivery fell 77 cents to $71.91 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the first time oil prices have fallen in several days.