S&P advances to set new record in quiet session

Reuters
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange August 26, 2014. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed out a strong month on a quiet note on Friday, with the S&P 500 posting a modest gain to close at a new record as the latest in a string of positive data helped extend a rally that had been briefly threatened by overseas concerns. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 18.88 points or 0.11 percent, to 17,098.45, the S&P 500 gained 6.63 points or 0.33 percent, to 2,003.37 and the Nasdaq Composite added 22.58 points or 0.5 percent, to 4,580.27. (Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)