Categories: U.S. Investing

Dow ends at record high; Nasdaq loses grip on 4,000

Andreas Poike

Dow ends at record high; Nasdaq loses grip on 4,000 (Reuters)

The Dow industrials eked out a slim gain to close at a new record high today but the Nasdaq was unable to hold onto the 4,000 mark that it reached for the first time in 13 years as it retreated just below that level, despite gaining ground for the day. The S&P 500 Index fell short of break even today. The Dow rose 7.77 points to close at16,072.50, notching a gain of .05%. The Nasdaq finished trading at 3,994.57, up 2.92 points to advance .07%, while the S&P 500 ended the day at 1,802.48, down 2.28 points to dip .13%. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) was among the Dow’s best performers as its shares rose 0.8 percent to close at $80.43, off an all-time intraday high of $80.57 after the world’s largest retailer announced it has chosen its next chief executive. Energy stocks slipped after the announcement of a deal to reduce sanctions on oil producing-nation Iran. The S&P energy sector index (SPNY) fell 0.8 percent, with social media shares also dropping. Volume is expected to remain low this week, with the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. “Retailers are taking focus this week. Black Friday is coming up, so there will be obviously some positioning ahead,” said Dennis Dick, proprietary trader at Bright Trading LLC in Las Vegas, referring to the day after Thanksgiving that is regarded as the start of the holiday shopping season.

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Paul Dykewicz

Paul Dykewicz is the editor of StockInvestor.com and the editorial director of Eagle Financial Publications in Washington, D.C. He writes and edits for the website, as well as edits investment newsletters, time-sensitive trading alerts and other reports published by Eagle. He also is an accomplished, award-winning journalist who has written for Dow Jones, USA Today and other publications, as well as served as business editor of a daily newspaper in Baltimore. In addition, Paul is the author of the inspirational book, "Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame's Championship Chaplain." He received his MBA in finance from Johns Hopkins University, where he was a two-time president of the school's Finance Club. In addition, Paul has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in journalism from Michigan State University. Outside of work, Paul volunteers with a faith-based organization to assist the poor in Southeast Washington, D.C., to learn personal finance skills to lift themselves out of debt.