The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) is unchanged, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.09%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -0.06%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are up +0.02%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -0.02%.
Stock indexes are little changed ahead of today’s early close at 1pm Eastern time and Thursday’s Christmas holiday. Stocks have continued support from confidence about the US economic outlook after Tuesday’s news that US Q3 real GDP rose by +4.3% (q/q annualized), much stronger than market expectations of +3.3%. However, most of Tuesday’s other US economic reports were on the weaker side, led by the -3.8 point drop in the Conference Board’s Dec US consumer confidence index to 89.1 from the revised Nov level of 92.9 (preliminary 88.7), which was weaker than market expectations of 91.0.
