Highlights
December 23, 2011
The Dow firmed one percent to just over 12,290 in a quiet holiday session. The day's economic news is mixed with a gain in durable goods tied to a gain in aircraft orders and with other details showing weakness for capital goods shipments. Personal income and spending look soft but aren't that bad given tough comparisons in prior months, and new home sales are rising at a respectable rate though at the expense of prices which are coming down.