Stocks rallied to close near session highs Friday after Bernanke reiterated that there is further room for the central bank to act and following reports the ECB is considering setting yield band targets in a new bond- buying program.
Still, all three major indexes failed to log gains for the week, with the Dow and S&P 500 snapping a six-week winning streak.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 100.51 points, or 0.77 percent, to close at 13,157.97, led by Verizon.
The S&P 500 rose 9.05 points, or 0.65 percent, to end at 1,411.13. The Nasdaq gained 16.39 points, or 0.54 percent, to finish at 3,069.79.
The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, ended near 15, surging more than 13 percent for the week.
For the week, the Dow erased, 0.88 percent, the S&P 500 lost 0.50 percent, and then Nasdaq slipped 0.22 percent. H-P led the blue-chip laggards for the week, while Kraft was the best performer.
Most key S&P sectors finished higher, led by telecoms and consumer staples, while materials ended in the red.
Trading volume has been extremely light all week due to the summer holiday season and ahead of the Fed's symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Bernanke and ECB President Mario Draghi are expected to speak.
Shortly after a weak open, the market popped as traders reacted to a letter from Bernanke, obtained by the Wall Street Journal, who said there is "scope for further action" by the Fed to ease financial conditions and support the economy. The letter was in response to questions from Rep. Darrell Issa.
The Chairman's comments echoed remarks from the Fed's latest meeting minutes from earlier this week.
“The market is in a good mood today based on the Fed’s statements and Bernanke’s been very consistent—he’s going to do whatever it takes and he’s ready to make a move possibly as early as September,” Katie Nixon, CIO of wealth management at Northern Trust told CNBC’s “Power Lunch.”
Growing doubts over whether the Fed will introduce further stimulus measures put a damper on equitiesin the previous session. (Read More: Why Markets Should Cheer QE3 Is Not Coming Soon)
