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ForexTV NewsDesk | December 30 2011 4:28 EST
ForexTV.com (New York) by Dylan Tulic
The last trading day of 2011 was a fitting end to a year that saw most major indices trade in a range of nearly 25%, but end mostly unchanged.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 69 points, or -0.57%, to close at 12,218. The S&P 500 shed 5 points, or -0.43%, to close at 1,258. The NASDAQ Composite lost 9 points, or -0.33%, to end the year at 2,605.
For the year, the S&P 500 posted a loss of 0.002%. The best performing sectors were health care, utilities, and consumer staples, all of which rose 10%. The hardest hit were materials and financials, spurred by continuous turmoil in Europe and the uncertainty over the American economy.
Of the three major US indices, the Dow Jones performed the best, posting a gain of 5.5%. The biggest winner for the year was McDonald’s, which gained just over 30% on the year, while the biggest loser was Bank of America, shedding 59%.
The NASDAQ ended the year with a loss of 1.8%, led by the declining fortunes of big name tech stocks such as Research in Motion and Netflix. The NASDAQ 100, however, posted a gain of 3% for the year.
Equity markets across the world fared far more poorly. Germany’s DAX ended the year down just under 15% and the FTSE lost 5.6%. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei lost a staggering 18% on the year.
Investors are hoping for a better and less volatile 2012, which will begin on Tuesday with US equity markets being closed on Monday for the New Year’s holiday.
Forex research by ForexTV.com
Company : ForexTV.com
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