US stocks rose on Friday, notching weekly wins across the major averages after an easing in US-China trade tensions. Investors also eyed President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill, which failed to clear a key hurdle Friday,

On Wall Street, Charter Communications rose 1.8% after it said it agreed to merge with Cox Communications in a deal that would combine two of the country’s largest cable companies. The resulting company will change its name to Cox Communications and keep Charter’s headquarters in Stamford, Conn..

Investors were in a laid-back mood at the end of what's been a stellar week for the stock market. The Cboe Volatility Index, a widely-followed fear gauge that trades under the ticker VIX, fell 0.6% to 17.