Market Tunes Out Troubles With S&P 500 Rising to Record, VIX Dropping

Washington is in gridlock and the White House faces scrutiny. Valuations are at the highest levels since the financial crisis. There’s been straight months of outflows from the biggest exchange-traded fund tracking the S&P 500.

Traders shrugged it all off in another positive week for the U.S. equity market that ended with the benchmark gauge at a record -- the 25th this year. The S&P 500 added 1.4 percent for the best week since May, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed for the sixth week in seven and the Nasdaq 100 posted the best advance of 2017.