Stocks closed slightly lower as investors returned from the Christmas holiday.

The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq all fell less than 0.1 percent Friday.

Trading was light with institutional investors largely closed out for the year. With three trading days left, the S&P 500 has climbed nearly 18 percent this year.

Gold and silver prices continued to rise, with silver up nearly 8 percent due to supply constraints. Shares of Target rose after news of an activist investor stake.

U.S. crude oil fell 2.8 percent, while Treasury yields held steady. Markets in several countries remained closed.

On Friday:

The S&P 500 fell 2.11 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 6,929.94.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.19 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 48,710.97.

The Nasdaq composite fell 20.21 points, or 0.1 percent, to 23,593.10.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 13.74 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,534.35.

For the week:

The S&P 500 is up 95.44 points, or 1.4 percent.

The Dow is up 576.08 points, or 1.2 percent.

The Nasdaq is up 285.48 points, or 1.2 percent.

The Russell 2000 is up 4.92 points, or 0.2 percent.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 1,048.31 points, or 17.8 percent.

The Dow is up 6,166.75 points, or 14.5 percent.

The Nasdaq is up 4,282.30 points, or 22.2 percent.

The Russell 2000 is up 304.19 points, or 13.6 percent.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.

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