US stocks nearly flat at early close for Christmas

Friday, December 20, 2019, Vol. 43, No. 51
The Associated Press

Major US stock indexes are closing nearly flat in muted trading as the market closes early for the Christmas holiday.

Industrial and health care stocks are the biggest losers. Those losses outweigh broad gains for retailers and homebuilders.

The market's modest pullback follows a strong winning streak for stocks that has propelled the major indexes to record highs this month.

The benchmark S&P 500 index has finished with a weekly gain in 10 out of the past 11 weeks. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1%. The Dow is down 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite was up less than 0.1%.