Stocks inch lower in subdued trading on the last day of 2021

The Associated Press

Stocks were slightly lower in thin trading Friday, closing out what has turned out to be another banner year for Wall Street. Energy and banks were among the biggest gainers, a common occurrence for the last month. 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. The yield on the 10-year Treasury inched up to 1.52%. The bond market will close early Friday, but stocks will trade on a normal schedule.