Stocks on Wall Street ended the week higher, helping the Standard & Poor's 500 Index round out its biggest weekly gain since 1974 after Citigroup won federal financial aid and automakers rebounded.

Federal authorities this week announced a series of arrests and convictions in connection with a global identity theft ring that stole millions of dollars by hijacking home-equity lines of credit issued to thousands of consumers.

Authorities say the group tricked banks and credit unions into wiring $2.5 million from home-equity lines to accounts outside the U.S. Federal authorities this week announced a series of arrests and convictions in connection with a global identity theft ring that stole millions of dollars by hijacking home-equity lines of credit issued to thousands of consumers.