Stocks ended higher yesterday, staging a late-day rebound after comments from President George W. Bush heightened hopes the US government would soon come to the economy's rescue with a hefty stimulus package.

The gloom cast over Wall Street following the September 11th attacks lifted somewhat as investors looked past a weak labour market report and a stream of earnings warnings from high-tech bellwethers like Sun Microsystems.

Erasing an early decline, the Nasdaq Composite Index wrapped up its fourth straight day of gains, finishing Friday's session up 7.99 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 1,605.30.

The technology-packed index, battered after it reopened two weeks ago, rose 7.1 per cent for the week, its biggest weekly rise since April, according to MarketHistory.com.

Mr Bush urged Congress to pass tax relief that would at least equal the $60 billion already earmarked in emergency spending to cushion the blow to the economy from the September 11th attacks.