US stocks edge higher in quiet trading

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ALEX VEIGA

U.S. stocks edged higher early Friday as relatively quiet trading resumed a day after Christmas. The gains followed mixed action in Asian markets. Most European markets were closed.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 47 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,077 as of 9:48 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor's 500 gained eight points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,089. The Nasdaq composite added 22 points, or 0.5 percent, to 4,796.

SECTOR VIEW: All the sectors in the S&P 500 moved higher, led by utilities stocks. The sector is up 27.7 percent this year. Celgene notched the biggest gain among stocks in the S&P 500, adding $2.96, or 2.5 percent, to $112.31. EQT declined the most, shedding 71 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $76.73.

FULL short story at link.



People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo Friday, Dec. 26, 2014, showing Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index that edged 29.69 points higher to 17,838.44. Shares were mostly higher in quiet trading Friday in Asia, as most markets in the region and across the globe were closed for Christmas holidays. China's Shanghai Composite Index extended gains in the second day of a rebound from this week's earlier sell-off. Nikkei rose 10.21 points or 0.06 percent and closed at 17,818.96 for the week. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20141226/financial_markets-174a70a507.html

[SheilaT]

1. Looks like the Dow is up here, also.

Good news.