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Investing in these diverse technology companies will allow you to benefit from hot trends while getting paid along the way.
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 The global tally for confirmed cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 climbed to 12.5 million on Saturday, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University, with the U.S. leading the way by far with 3.19 million cases. The number of deaths grew to 560,921, while the number of people who have recovered reached 6.9 million. The U.S. death toll is 134,117 and is rising again after it had started to flatten in mid-to-late April. That comes after rising infections in states in the South and West, including Texas, Arizona and South Carolina, among others, where hospitals have started to become overwhelmed. Brazil is second to the U.S. with 1.80 million cases and 70,398 deaths. India is third measured by cases that have climbed above 800,000 to 820,916, followed by Russia with 719,449 and Peru with 319,646. The U.K. has 44,735 fatalities, the highest in Europe and third highest in the world. China, where the illness was first reported late last year, has 84,992 cases and 4,641 fatalities.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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These stocks are trading near their all-time highs.
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 The stocks have been battered this year, but underlying industry trends are about to drive outsized profits for years.
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Gilead Sciences (GILD, 2.2%) once again helped inject a little life into stocks Friday with the help of its coronavirus treatment remdesivir.
The major indices appeared poised for losses in early trading amid another record surge in U.S. COVID-19 cases, as well as yesterday's comments from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicating that the White House wants to cap unemployment benefits in the next round of coronavirus stimulus.
65 Best Dividend Stocks You Can Count On in 2020
However, Gilead announced that an analysis of previously released clinical trial data revealed an "important finding": namely, a 62% reduction in mortality risk in coronavirus patients compared to the current standard of care.
The news was music to Wall Street's ears; financial stocks including JPMorgan Chase (JPM, 5.5%) and Goldman Sachs (GS, 4.5%) contributed to a 1.4% jump in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to 26,075. The S&P 500 finished 1.1% higher to 3,185, while the small-cap Russell 2000 jumped 1.7% to 1,422.
The Nasdaq Composite gained a more modest 0.6%, but that marked a third straight close at record
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The stalled nomination of Judy Shelton, President Donald Trump's controversial pick for the Federal Reserve, got a potential boost Friday when the Senate Banking Committee announced a July 21 vote on her nomination. Shelton's bid has languished since her confirmation hearing in February amid talk she didn't have enough committee support. Shelton, who was an informal Trump adviser during his presidential campaign, has been a long-time advocate for some form of tying the dollar's value to gold. She faces unanimous opposition from Democrats and some Republicans were on the fence. The committee will also vote on a second Trump Fed nominee, Christopher Waller, the director of research at the St. Louis Fed. Waller is expected to be confirmed easily.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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U.S. oil futures climbed Friday, reducing their losses for the week even as the spread of the coronavirus pandemic continued to threaten a recovery in the economy. Crude prices got a boost for the session, in part due to the "upbeat COVID-19 vaccine and treatment news" and a softer dollar, but U.S. benchmark prices remain "anchored below the $41 level and will likely struggle for any major moves" until after next week's OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee meeting, said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda. "The demand outlook risks warrant a discussion for OPEC to consider extending production cuts into August," he said, in a note. August West Texas Intermediate oil rose 93 cents, or about 2.4%, to settle at $40.55 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the week, prices based on the front-month contract fell by 0.2%, according to FactSet data.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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Rapid rises conjure memories of a big spike — and then collapse — in 2015
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