** S&P 500 .SPX rises third consecutive week, surges 5.3% on trade optimism. Benchmark index finishes in positive territory for 2025 for first time since late Feb .N

** Dow .DJI gains >3%, Nasdaq Composite .IXIC rockets ~7%

** Indeed, S&P 500 index makes a leap, now down just 3% from record close

** And given extent of the rally off the early-April lows, bulls wonder, have we seen liftoff?, and with this, does the Nasdaq have enough thrust behind its recent jump?

** U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield US10YT=RR, now ~4.44%, on track to rise for a third week in a row

** Every sector sports a profit as Technology and Consumer Discretionary most flush. And despite some blurred lines, growth .IGX vs value .IVX eyes record highs

** Tech .SPLRCT shoots up 8.1%. Chipmakers rise on Mon after U.S., China agree to cut tariffs, 90-day pause

Chip firms and server maker Super Micro SMCI.O jump after securing AI deals from Saudi Arabia as President Trump tours Gulf region. SMCI skyrockets 44% on the week

Advanced Micro AMD.O climbs, announces new $6 bln stock buyback plan

Applied Materials AMAT.O falls on Fri after semiconductor equipment maker misses current-qtr rev estimate amid murkiness around export curbs, yet AMAT registers ~6% weekly gain

Semiconductor index .SOX vaults ~10%

** Communication Services .SPLRCL up 6.6%. Charter CHTR.O rises on $21.9 bln deal to buy Cox Communications, uniting two of the largest U.S. cable and broadband operators

** Industrials .SPLRCI up 5.5%. Sector scores a fresh record close on Fri, as Deere DE.N accelerates after Q2 beat due to cost-saving measures and inventory management. Analysts say DE harvests opportunity as trade winds shift

** Utilities .SPLRCU up 2.3%. NRG Energy NRG.N hits record high on $12 bln deal to acquire power generation assets from LS Power. NRG zooms 33%

** Consumer Staples .SPLRCS up 1.5%. Walmart WMT.N dips on Thurs after warning shoppers to face price hikes, though Street views co positioned as strong tariff hedge with strategic edge. WMT up nearly 2% on the week

Supermarket operator Kroger KR.N, other defensive plays in sector decline, as market rallies on trade truce news

** Healthcare .SPXHC ekes out 0.3% gain. But UnitedHealth UNH.N dives on Tues after CEO Witty steps down, suspension of 2025 forecast, drags peers down

Then stock plunges on Thurs on report of criminal probe for possible Medicare fraud. UNH suffers 23% weekly loss

** Meanwhile, individual investor bulls advance, bears retreat

And on the new listings front, trading platform eToro ETOR.O jumps in cracking Nasdaq debut after $620 mln IPO

** SPX performance YTD:

(Lance Tupper and Terence Gabriel are Reuters market analysts. The views expressed are their own)

((lance.tupper@tr.com ; terence.gabriel@tr.com))