Last week's best stocks to buy started out D.C. driven. But when the drama on Capitol Hill subsided - for now, at least - focus turned to third-quarter earnings.
Google Inc.'s (Nasdaq: GOOG) better-than-expected quarterly results and upbeat outlook helped markets move sharply higher.
The S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq logged their best weekly gains in three months, up 2.42% and 3.23% respectively. It was the Nasdaq's best close since September 2000.