Stocks inch higher in subdued trading on last day of 2021

The Associated Press

Stocks are inching higher in early trading Friday, the final day of what turned out to be another big year on Wall Street. The S&P 500 was up 0.1% in the early going. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq were also up 0.1%. The S&P 500, which hit its latest record high on Wednesday, is heading for a gain of more than 27% for the year, or 29% including dividends. That’s nearly as much as the index gained in 2019. Trading was also subdued in overseas markets. U.S. stock trading operates on a regular schedule Friday, but bond trading closes early.