(Reuters) – The S&P 500 ended its best week in 2012 on Friday, as investors returned to stocks after sources told Reuters that Spain was expected to request aid for its troubled banks.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 93.16 points, or 0.75 percent, to end unofficially at 12,554.12. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 10.65 points, or 0.81 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,325.64. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 27.40 points, or 0.97 percent, to close unofficially at 2,858.42.

For the week, the Dow rose 3.6 percent, the Nasdaq climbed 4 percent and the S&P 500 gained 3.7 percent for its best weekly gain of the year.