<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div><div>Key points:<ul><li>Main US indexes end higher</li><li>Materials lead S&amp;P 500 sector gainers; Staples sole loser</li><li>Dollar down; bitcoin up slightly; crude, gold both up ~2.5%</li><li>US 10-year Treasury yield edges up to ~4.16%</li></ul></div> GREEN CHRISTMAS: US STOCKS COAST HIGHER IN LIGHT TRADING A fairly broad-based rally - and a lack of any mood-killing catalysts - sent U.S. stocks to a higher close on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 227.79 points, or 0.47%, to 48,362.68, the S&amp;P 500 gained 43.99 points, or 0.64%, to 6,878.49 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 121.21 points, or 0.52%, to 23,428.83. The S&amp;P 500 finished the day 0.3% shy of its all-time closing high reached on December 11. If the benchmark index manages to notch yet another record close, that will bring the 2025 total to 38. That might sound like a lot, but the index scored 57 in 2024. Among the 11 major sectors of the S&amp;P 500, all but consumer staples ended a light-volume session in the green. Aerospace &amp; defense (.SPCOMAED), airlines (.SPCOMAIR) and banks (.SPXBK) all handily outperformed the broader market. Indexes that reached all-time closing highs today included S&amp;P 500 Financials , S&amp;P 500 Banks (.SPXBK), ARCA Gold Bugs (.HUI), Philadelphia Gold/Silver Index (.XAU), Nasdaq Biotech . Having surged more than 53% in the last two trading days, Truth Social parent Trump Media tumbled 10.4% and is currently on track to show a 2025 loss of 57.7%. A barrel of oddly-timed economic indicators - an echo effect of the longest-ever U.S. government shutdown - is due on Tuesday. They include the Commerce Department's advance take on third-quarter GDP as well as its new home sales data for October, the Federal Reserve's November industrial production report, and the Conference Board's take on current-month consumer confidence. Here's your closing snapshot: </div></div></div>

NDAQ

COST

US stocks closed higher on Monday with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all posting gains. Materials led S&P 500 sector gainers, while consumer staples were the only losers. The S&P 500 is close to its all-time high. Key sectors like aerospace, defense, airlines, and banks outperformed. Truth Social parent Trump Media fell 10.4%. Economic indicators, including GDP and consumer confidence, are expected on Tuesday.

Green Christmas: US stocks coast higher in light trading