Stocks End a Strong Year

Though the last day of trading for the year closes on a soft note

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Dec 30, 2016 3:11 PM CST

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Stocks End a Strong Year — In this Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, file photo, trader Joseph Murray works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

US stocks are closing out a solid year following a flat 2015, the AP reports. Indexes ended the last week of 2016 on a soft note, slipping in quiet trading Friday ahead of the New Year's Day weekend. For the year, the Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 9.5%, its fourth year of gains in the last five. Technology stocks led a broad decline on the last day of trading of the year. Chipmaker Nvidia slumped 4.2%, the biggest loss in the S&P 500. It's still the biggest gainer for the year overall, having tripled in value. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 57 points, or 0.3%, to 19,762. The S&P 500 fell 10 points, or 0.5%, to 2,238. The Nasdaq declined 48 points, or 0.9%, to 5,383. (Read more Dow Jones stories.)