The S&P 500 index rose into positive territory for the year on Monday after a late-day rally precipitated from reports from Europe about a bailout plan. On Tuesday, news that Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi would step down in 2012 propelled stocks upward. The bottom fell out of the market on Wednesday as volatility raised its ugly head once again, causing the S&P 500 to slip negative for the year. Stocks gained back some of Wednesday’s losses on Thursday, as a new jobless claims report indicated that the US job market may be healing. The upswing continued on Friday as the turnover at the top of Italy’s and Greece’s political chain seemed to calm investors. [table id=36 /]