Stocks eked out gains Friday and closed the week higher after the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge added to the case for an interest rate cut next week. For the week, the S & P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq added nearly 1%. Both indexes logged back-to-back weekly gains. The Dow gained roughly 0.5%. On Friday morning, the government's September personal consumption expenditures price index showed a cooler-than-expected year-over-year increase in the core rate, which excludes food and energy prices. While the PCE report was delayed because of the government shutdown, it was welcome news in a data-starved market ahead of the Fed's two-day policymaking meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. .SPX 1M mountain S & P 500's 1 month performance It has been a couple of weeks since New York Fed

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