NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks surged higher Friday as another round of corporate takeovers prodded investors to continue a largely uninterrupted months-long buying streak. The Dow Jones industrial average registered its 24th record close this year and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index came within striking distance of its record high.

Beyond the buyout news, which has lent buoyancy to the markets for months, a stronger-than-expected reading on consumer sentiment helped investors set aside some concern that consumers unnerved by higher gas prices would pare back spending and up-end the economy’s smooth slowdown.

The latest takeover news, including deals involving marquee names like General Electric Co. and Microsoft Corp., signaled the enormous amount of liquidity that has lubricated global stock markets in recent months doesn’t appear on the verge of evaporating.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow rose 79.81, or 0.59 percent, to 13,556.53. The blue chips set a new trading high of 13,558.48, having crossed 13,500 for the first time on Thursday. The Dow has been on a strong run since early April.