Volume was light, as is expected through the rest of 2010. Investors stayed with sectors that have led a sharp December rally, including financials, energy and materials stocks. The S&P 500 is up 5.7 percent for the month and 11.8 percent for the year.
"We have seen this year-end rally refuse to give up any ground," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at BB&T Wealth Management in Birmingham, Alabama.
The combination of improving economic data, additional stimulus from the Federal Reserve and the extension of tax cuts was keeping equities in demand, Hellwig said.
Dow Jones Industrial Average
(DJI: ^DJI )| Index Value: | 11,478.13 |
|---|---|
| Trade Time: | 4:02PM EST |
| Change: |  13.78 (0.12%) |
| Prev Close: | 11,491.91 |
|---|---|
| Open: | 11,491.30 |
| Day's Range: | 11,442.68 -11,517.07 |
| 52wk Range: | 9,596.04 - 11,561.60 |
