S&P 500 positive for 2011

 　　NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks extended gains on Friday, with major indexes higher for the fourth straight day as most of the latest data signaled a pick-up in the economy.

　　As of Friday's close, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 124.35 points, or 1.02 percent, to 12,294.00, its highest closing since July 27.

　　The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 11.33 points, or 0.90 percent, to 1,265.33, positive for the year. The broader index gained about 4.5 percent in the last four days, its best performance since August.

　　The Nasdaq Composite Index was the only one in three major indexes still sinking in the negative territory for the year, rising 19.19 points, or 0.74 percent, to 2,618.64 on Friday.

　　Trading was very light on Friday, the last trading session before the Christmas Holiday, as lots of investors¹ have already closed their books to celebrate the holiday.

　　Stocks started the day basically flat. According to the Commerce Department, consumer spending rose just 0.1 percent in November, while the incomes also rose 0.1 percent, the weakest reading since August.

　　Meanwhile, a separate report showed business demand for long- lasting² manufactured goods rose by the largest amount in four months in November, but the good news was dampened as declines in business capital goods excluding aircraft fell more than analysts³ expected.

　　Later, market climbed higher after report showed new home sales turning up in November. The Commerce Department said new-home sales rose 1.6 percent last month to a seasonally⁴ adjusted annual rate of 315,000.

　　Also offering some relief, the Senate and the House of Representatives on Friday both agreed by unanimous consent to extend the payroll⁵ tax cut, and President Barack Obama signed the bill right afterwards, avoiding a massive tax hike for 160 million Americans right after the New Year.

　　In other markets, the U.S. dollar traded mixed against major currencies in late New York trading on Friday as the surging yields of Italian bonds raised concerns about the European debt crisis.

　　Crude prices on Friday kept rising for the fifth straight trading day as tension in the Middle East raised worries about supply disruption. Light, sweet crude for February delivery added 15 cents, or 0.15 percent to settle at 99.68 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For this week, it soared 6.15 dollars, or 6.58 percent.

　　As for the coming week, all U.S. financial markets will be closed on Monday for the Christmas Holiday and resume trading on Tuesday.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

5 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。