S&P 500 closes at record on better-than-expected home sales and tech surge

· *US equities erased early losses and climbed on Friday, with the S&P 500 closing at a record high following positive economic data.*
· *Existing home sales surged a record 24.7% in July to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.86 million. Economists expected a reading of 5.41 million.*
· *Apple led tech stocks higher and posted...