Santa rally may grind to a halt

oldpigwang

By CNNMoney Staff
2 hours ago

With only a few trading days left in 2013, investors hoping the Santa Claus rally will continue Friday and cap off an already strong week may be disappointed.

Stocks: U.S. futures tilt higher Thursday CNNMoney.com
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U.S. stock futures dipped, with the S&P 500 down 0.1%, pointing to a softer start to trade.

On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high for the 50th time this year. The S&P 500 also ended at a record high, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq marked a new 13-year high.

Dubbed the "Santa Claus rally," stocks often surge in the week between Christmas and New Year.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

Markets have charted big gains this year. The Dow and S&P 500 are both up more than 20%, while the Nasdaq has soared over 30%.

The Dow is on track for its best year since 2003 and the S&P 500 on pace for its strongest year since 1997.

Several factors have helped spur gains this year including ongoing economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve, increased confidence in the economy and solid corporate earnings growth.

Related: Best year ever for stock funds

Earlier this month the Fed announced that it will modestly reduce its bond buying program in January. But many experts believe the bull market will continue for a sixth year in 2014, albeit at a more modest pace.

European markets rose in morning trading, led by a 0.7% rise on Germany's DAX. London's FTSE gained 0.5% and France's CAC 40 put on 0.6%.

Asian markets ended the week on a positive note. China's Shanghai Composite rose 1.4% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.3%.

View this article on CNNMoney

dsp

Cheese

感觉小跌很快了，大的没到时侯

Cheese

我的退休账户今年头一次超过15%，往年都只有7左右