All three major benchmarks saw yearly, monthly, and quarterly wins
The last session of 2021 was a muted one, but Wall Street still has plenty to celebrate going into New Year's Eve, as all three major benchmarks logged monthly, quarterly, and yearly wins. The Dow shed 60 points to close out the year, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq settled modestly below breakeven. The indexes also nabbed their third-straight annual gain, with the Dow and S&P 500 in particular beating their 2020 wins. Meanwhile, the Cboe Market Volatility Index (VIX) logged its worst year since 2019, despite its solid day, week, and month.
The strong year came amid the coronavirus pandemic, which continued to haunt the markets with new variants, regardless of vaccines and treatments. Still, both the energy and real estate sectors demonstrated strength, while Big Tech and the financial segment also contributed to this year's gains.
Continue reading for more on today's market, including:
- This blue-chip stock is a surefire bet for January.
- Our Founder and CEO Bernie Schaeffer explains time decay.
- Plus, analyst slams Peloton stock; why Advanced Micro Devices stock climbed; and footwear stock eyes comeback.
The Dow Jones Average (DJI - 36,338.30) fell 59.8 points, or 0.2% for the day. It rose 1.1% for the week, 5.4% for the month, and 18.8% for the year. Home Depot (HD) led the gainers today, adding 1.2%, and Microsoft (MSFT) paced the laggards with a 0.9% fall.
The S&P 500 Index (SPX - 4,766.18) shed 12.6 points, or 0.3% for the day. It added 0.9% for the week, 4.4% for the month, and 26.9% for the year.
The Nasdaq Composite (IXIC - 15,644.97) dropped 96.6 points, or 0.6% for the day, and 0.04% for the week. It jumped 0.7% for the month, and 21.4% for the year.
Lastly, the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX - 17.22) lost 0.1 point, or 0.6% for the day, and 4.2% for the week. It also shed 36.7% for the month, and 24.4% for the year.
- The daily average of Covid-19 hospitalizations is above the 80,000 mark for the first time in three months, as the number of cases continue to hit records. (MarketWatch)
- Chinese telecommunications concern Huawei expects to see a 28.9% year-over-year revenue drop, as U.S. sanctions, supply chain issues, and the chip shortage weigh. (CNBC)
- Why this analyst slammed Peloton stock with a downgrade.
- Advanced Micro Devices stock climbed after delaying a deal.
- This footwear stock could bounce back to record highs in 2022.
There were no notable earnings reports today.
Oil Logs Best Year Since 2009
Oil prices settled lower on Friday, snapping a seven-day win streak. Nonetheless, black gold still logged its best year since 2009, adding more than 55%, and walked away with monthly and weekly wins. As for the day, February-dated crude shed $1.78, or 2.3%, to finish at $75.21 per barrel.
Conversely, gold prices settled higher today, but logged their worst year since 2015 with a 3.6% slump. However, the yellow metal still managed to log weekly and monthly wins. February-dated gold jumped $14.50, or 0.8%, to close at $1,828.60 per ounce today.