[BRIEFING.COM] This afternoon's action remains subdued, leaving stocks on track to finish the week on a lackluster note. In contrast, last week ended amid strong selling pressure and a spike in volatility. Participants returned to bid shares higher in each session this week, so that a weekly gain of more than 2% still looks to be in order. That will be its first weekly advance in three weeks.

Despite the recent spell of volatility in the broader market, the S&P 500 remains up 18% from 52-weeks ago. More impressive is that it is up 60% from its March low.