<p>The S&P 500 wrapped up its second positive week in a row on Friday (November 30), although it ended the day flat as politicians remain at odds about how to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.</p><br /><p>U.S. President Barack Obama accused a "handful of Republicans" in the House of Representatives on Friday of holding up legislation to extend tax cuts for middle-class Americans in order to try to preserve them for the wealthy.</p><br /><p>"There is a stalemate; let's not kid ourselves," House Speaker John Boehner said on Friday, a month before the $600 billion (USD) "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts is set to kick in.</p><br /><p>The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 3.76 points, or 0.03 percent, at 13,025.58. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.23 points, or 0.02 percent, at 1,416.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 1.79 points, or 0.06 percent, at 3,010.24.</p><br /><p>For the week, the Dow rose 0.1 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq climbed 1.5 percent.</p><br /><p>For the month of November, though, the Dow slipped 0.5 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.1 percent.</p>
