Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Friday s session are AnnTaylor Stores, National Semiconductor and Aeropostale.

Stocks rallied in the final hour of trading Thursday, pushing the S&P to a 17-month high above 1,150. Banks finished strong, with Citi up over 5%.

Citigroup Gains Buoy Markets Stocks added modest gains as bullish comments from Citigroup s CEO boosted the financial sector. Trading in Citigroup represented more than one-fifth of the market s overall volume. U.S.

A rally in financial stocks Thursday helped the market extend its grind higher to a third day. The Standard & Poor s 500 index cleared an important hurdle watched by traders when it closed just above its January peak to set a new 17-month high.

Citi Rises 5.6% on Pandit Comments Large-cap stocks climbed, lifting the Standard & Poor s 500 to a 17-month high. Walt Disney and Home Depot led the Dow.

U.S. regional-bank shares add to weekly gains to close higher, while Citigroup advances as investors cheered Chief Executive Vikram Pandit s relatively upbeat outlook.

Stocks rallied in the final hour of trading Thursday, pushing the S&P to a 17-month high above 1,150. Banks finished strong, with Citi up over 5 percent.

Citigroup CEO s bullish comments spark late rally and hand Wall Street third consecutive gain.

A rally in financial stocks Thursday helped the market extend its grind higher to a third day. The Standard & Poor s 500 index cleared an important hurdle watched by traders when it closed just above its January peak to set a new 17-month high.

U.S. stocks pick up traction late Thursday, for a third straight day of gains, after Citigroup Inc. said the bank is on its way to sustainable profitability and as Democrats gave up on a bipartisan effort to overhaul financial regulation.