Stocks waver on Wall Street ahead of Christmas holiday

By DAMIAN J. TROISE
AP Business Writer

Stocks wavered between small gains and losses in muted trading on Wall Street Wednesday ahead of the Christmas holiday. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq was little changed. The Russell 2000, a measure of small-company stocks, fell 0.3%. A mix of retailers rose, while consumer staples companies slipped. Major indexes are still on track for weekly gains after a rally on Tuesday. Indexes were mostly higher in Europe and Asia. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.47%. U.S. markets will be closed Friday in observance of Christmas.