For the third straight year, the S&P 500 posted double-digit gains. With Wednesday’s close, the S&P 500 finished the year with 53 record highs and an 11% gain (excluding dividends). On Wednesday, the major stock indexes declined in an ugly close that saw the averages fall to session lows in the final half hour of trading for the year. First, the scoreboard: Dow: 17,840, -143, (-0.8%) S&P 500: 2,059, -21, (-1%) Nasdaq: 4,736, -41, (-0.9%) And now, the top stories on Wednesday: 1. Due to Thursday’s New Year’s Day holiday, the weekly report on initial jobless claims — usually scheduled …read more
Source: Business Insider