US Stocks end spectacular quarter (ext)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks closed mixed Friday, with the Dow and S&P 500 ending their best first quarter in over a decade, as investors weighed a report on consumer spending and a boost in the eurozone bailout fund.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) gained 66 points, or 0.5%, to end at 13,212. The S&P 500 (SPX) added 5 points, or 0.4%, to 1.408. The Nasdaq (COMP) edged down 4 points, or 0.1%, to 3,090.

The gains were driven by improving economic data in the United States and easing concerns about the debt crisis in Europe. Stocks have also been supported by expectations the Federal Reserve will continue to support the economy.

"That's been enough to put the risk back on in the first part of this year versus last year," said Peter Tuz, a portfolio manager at Chase Investment Counsel in Charlottesville, Va.

On Friday, stocks opened higher as investors focused on personal spending data and news that eurozone finance officials agreed to raise their financial firewall to €700 billion.

But the market wavered as the morning progressed, with shares of Apple weighing on the Nasdaq, said Ben Schwartz, chief market strategist at Lightspeed Financial.

Schwartz said the market is becoming more volatile as investors gear up for corporate reports due out later next month. But he suggested that stocks could find some support as the recent rally draws so-called retail investors off the sidelines.

"You're starting to see the market move a bit," he said. "But we're waiting for more volume to come in to support the rally we had over last three months."

Meanwhile, traders said institutional investors have been making big moves recently as they rebalance portfolios ahead of quarterly statements to clients.

"Hedge fund and mutual fund managers have used the last two weeks to get their portfolios competitive," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist with Prudential Financial in Newark, N.J. "This is a quarter in which you did not want to be lagging the market performance."

The dollar lost ground against the euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen.

Oil for May delivery added 24 cents to settle at $103.02 per a barrel.

Gold futures for April delivery rose $17.10 to end the day at $1,669.30 an ounce.