US close: Mixed performance on the Street as 'Santa Claus' rally comes to a halt
US stocks turned in a mixed performance on the year's third-to-last session as US-China trade news remained firmly in focus.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.08% at 28,645.26, while the S&P 500 was flat on 3,240.02 and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 0.17% weaker at 9,006.62.
The Dow closed 23.87 points higher on Friday after closing stronger during the previous session as US stocks saw out the first day back from the Christmas break on a positive note. Significantly, tech-heavy Nasdaq also topped the psychological 9,000 point mark for the first time on Boxing Day.
While Friday was mostly a quiet day in terms of headlines, market participants were still mulling over news from the previous session that the Chinese Commerce Ministry was in contact with the US regarding the signing of their initial trade deal.
Earlier in the week, Donald Trump said the deal was "getting done", adding that there would be a signing ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The deal is reportedly in the process of being translated, with the two economic superpowers hoping to sign on the dotted line in January.
With China in mind, data released overnight showed a solid rebound for industrial profits in the Asian nation - further boosting sentiment.
Friday also marked the third day of the aptly titled "Santa Claus rally" period.
No economic data or earnings were released.