Most U.S. stocks ended the week with losses, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a small rise for the period thanks to gains on Friday in health care stocks and consumer-related shares. Tech shares were the biggest losers on the week.

Shares of online broker E-Trade Financial Corp. rise more than 4% at the start of Friday’s session, amidst heavy talk of a possible takeover bid by TD Ameritrade Holdings Corp.

Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. kicked their battle for personal computing supremacy into a higher gear Thursday, with Microsoft touting sales of the latest version of its Windows operating system software as its Silicon Valley-based rival promoted a technology that in many ways stands in sharp contrast.

Rumors that wireless giant Nokia Corp. might buy Palm Inc. have helped fuel the U.S. handset maker’s stock this year, but most industry observers doubt such a deal would happen.

AOL may lay off a third of its staff as part of a restructuring related to the company’s upcoming spin-off from Time Warner, according to a regulatory filing.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: The Following Is an Investment Opinion Being Issued by Ridgewater Equity (RWE).