Black Friday unofficially kicks off the holiday shopping season, although retailers have been offering early deals for weeks.

The blue-chip Dow gained 426.16 points, or 0.97%, to 44,296.51, a new all-time closing high and its third straight positive session. The S&P 500 added 0.35% to finish at 5,969.34 for its fifth winning day in a row.

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week.

In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 21% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Black Friday, the final session of what's been a stellar month for the market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 73 points, or 0.2%. The benchmark S&P 500 climbed 0.1%,

Stocks closed with solid gains as Wall Street put the finishing touches on one of its best months of the year.