Wall Street finishes with fourth straight weekly gain

Reports that Microsoft Corp. renewed talks to acquire or invest in Yahoo Inc. helped buoy investor sentiment Friday as did word that Reuters Group PLC received a preliminary takeover offer. There is speculation that Thomson Corp., the financial data provider, is the likely suitor for the British news and information company.

Beyond the buyout news, which has figured prominently in shaping Wall Street’s largely upbeat mood in recent months, economic figures offered some nuggets for both bullish and bearish investors. The Labor Department said Friday the nation’s jobless rate rose to 4.5 percent in April as expected; in the prior month, the rate stood at a five-year low of 4.4 percent.

“The economic data suggest that the economy is not tanking and inflation is not accelerating and that the Fed is not going to upset the apple cart,” said Alan Levenson, chief economist at T. Rowe Price, referring to the Federal Reserve.