(CNBC) U.S. equities traded higher on Friday as Wall Street looks to cap a strong first-half performance.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent, with energy and consumer discretionary leading advancers. The index has gained 8.3 percent this year, putting it on track for its biggest first-half gains since 2013, when it gained 12.6 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 95 points, with Nike contributing the most gains. The 30-stock index has risen 8.1 percent through the first six months of the year, marking its best start to a year since 2013.
The Nasdaq composite traded 0.2 percent higher. The tech-heavy index has easily outperformed the Dow and the S&P this year, surging 14.2 percent and was tracking for its largest first-half gains since 2009.
