U.S. stocks closed the final week and the month of August with gains as optimism grew around potential Federal Reserve rate cuts.

U.S. stocks closed the final week and the month of August with gains.

Wall Street was downbeat last week.

Wall Street was downbeat last week.

We have highlighted three ETFs each from the best and worst-performing zones of last week.

We have highlighted three ETFs each from the best and worst-performing zones of last week.

Wall Street was downbeat last week.

Wall Street was downbeat last week.

XTL, targeting the U.S. telecommunications sector, was the top-performing ETF of August.

U.S. stock indexes are holding relatively steady on Friday after a jobs report billed as the most important of the year came in mixed.