U.S. stocks on Friday cap their best month since November with modest gains, lifted by some improvement in U.S. economic data, though worries about consumer spending and sovereign debt kept a lid on optimism.

Stocks neared a quiet end to a volatile month, edging higher thanks to improved readings of gross domestic product and purchasing managers’ activity. As the end of trading for February neared, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was recently up 22 points, or 0.2%, at 10342.80, on pace to finish the month with a 2.7% gain.

Stocks crept higher as improved readings of gross domestic product and purchasing managers’ activity bolstered the market in February’s final trading session. The month has turned out to be a good one for investors despite rising concerns about sovereign debt and the pace of the global economic recovery.