US stocks tread water in thin trade, benchmark US yield backs off new high
The three U.S. stock indexes were all nearly unchanged, paring mild early declines and interrupting what looked early this week like a nascent "Santa Claus rally," in which shares get a seasonal boost from low liquidity, tax-loss harvesting and investment of year-end bonuses. With only a handful of trading days remaining in the year, the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and the Dow have scored respective gains of 33%, 26% and 14% in 2024. The major concerns for 2025 are the extent of the Fed's monetary easing, Trump's tariffs and other policies, and various geopolitical tensions.