Stocks gain ground and put S&P 500 and Nasdaq on a path for all-time highs

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in morning trading Friday and put Wall Street on track to close a strong week at an all-time high. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% early Friday and is on track to surpass its record set in February. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.5% and is also on track for a record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, or 273 points, to 43,657 as of 9:58 a.m. Eastern. A record for the S&P 500 would mark a sharp turnaround from just three months ago, when the key measure of Wall Street’s health fell nearly 20%…