US stocks ended the short vacation week with gains.
The stock and bond markets will be closed on Friday, Christmas Eve.
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There is also no futures trading on Friday. Trading will resume on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
Asian stock markets were mixed on Friday after Wall Street hit new highs as fears about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus subsided.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo lost less than 0.1%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong gained 0.1% and the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.7%.
The European markets are traded in an abbreviated session. The London Stock Exchange is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays for bank holidays.
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Wall Street’s S&P 500 benchmark index rose 0.6% on Thursday to 4,725.79, surpassing its December 10th record. The index closed the week down 2.3%.
| ticker | safety | Last | change | Change% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Me: DJI | DOW JONES AVERAGE VALUES | 35950.56 | +196.67 | + 0.55% |
| SP500 | S&P 500 | 4725.79 | +29.23 | + 0.62% |
| Me: COMP | NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX | 15653.373957 | +131.48 | + 0.85% |
Investor fear has increased with the spread of Omicron but subsided after authorities said it could cause less serious illness. President Biden called for more vaccinations and tests, but did not announce any plans for travel restrictions.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6% to 35,950.56 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.8% to 15,653.37.
UNEMPLOYMENT EMPLOYEES REMAIN UNCHANGED AT 205,000, NEAR HALF A CENTURY LOW
The Department of Labor said the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was flat last week, reflecting a strong rebound in the job market.
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The Commerce Department reported Thursday that US consumer spending rose 5.7% year over year in November, the fastest pace in 39 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
