By Chibuike Oguh and Sruthi Shankar NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wall Street stocks advanced on Friday, notching the second straight week of gains, helped by strong economic data and potential easing of trade tensions between the U.

Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato drew attention by mentioning that the country’s more than $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasury bonds could potentially be a “card on the table” in negotiations with Washington over Trump’s steep tariffs on autos and other imports.

Palantir has maintained its momentum in 2025. Its year-to-date return of 57% means it is once again the best performer in the S&P 500, partly because investors have shown a clear preference for software and services companies that may escape tariffs unscathed.