Bloomberg | U.S. stocks gained, building on the biggest September rally since 1939, as higher-than-estimated consumer spending and confidence bolstered optimism in the economic recovery.

Schlumberger Ltd. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. rose at least 1.3 percent as oil topped $81 barrel, leading energy stocks to the biggest gain among 10 groups in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. rallied more than 1.9 percent as financial companies rebounded from two days of declines. Accenture Plc jumped 4.5 percent after forecasting sales that may top estimates.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent to 1,146.24 as of 4:06 p.m. in New York, ending the week with a 0.2. percent decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 41.63 points, or 0.4 percent, to 10,829.68.

“As long as personal spending continues to creep up, one can’t be negative about the economy or the market,” said Stanley Nabi, New York-based vice chairman of Silvercrest Asset Management Group, which oversees $9 billion. “Personal spending and income haven’t recovered fully, but they increased. What it tells us is the economy will slog along between now and the middle of next year.”