NEW YORK – U.S. stocks declined in the last trading session of 2021.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 59.78 points, or 0.16%, to 36,338.30. The S&P 500 was down 12.55 points, or 0.26%, to 4,766.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 96.59 points, or 0.61%, to 15,644.97.
Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in the green, with consumer staples up 0.71%, outpacing the rest. Communication services slipped 1.21%, the worst-performing group.
U.S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower with eight of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.
Despite recent volatilities, all the three U.S. major averages posted double-digit returns this year.
The S&P 500 jumped 26.9% in 2021, marking the benchmark’s third straight positive year. The Dow and Nasdaq advanced 18.7% and 21.4%, respectively, also notching their three-year winning streaks. (Xinhua) – bny