A Week's Worth

• Adjusting to the idea that the Federal Reserve finally is finished hiking interest rates for the time being – even as the economy gears down – investors pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average ahead by 293.44 points last week, or 2.65 percent. The Dow capped a five-day rally at Friday's close with a gain of 46.51 points.

• Are the 'For Sale' signs in your neighborhood still there, months after they went up? No matter, apparently: A majority of Americans (59 percent) have told a survey by the Boston Consulting Group that – real estate bubble or no real estate bubble – they believe the value of their homes has increased over the past year. By region, homeowners said they were most confident of that in the West (70 percent) and the South (62 percent). Then came the Northeast (54 percent). Those in the Midwest (48 percent) were least confident.

• Let's say you're considering buying stock in the Widget Corp. Will you make that decision based on what you've read about the company on the Internet – or because you're a regular user of widgets? In a recent survey by the online brokerage Scottrade, respondents said they're more likely to invest in a company's shares if they're personally familiar with its products rather than by researching the matter through financial websites. The margin: roughly one-third to one-quarter.