Stocks Advance; Trading Quiet Before Holiday
Stocks pushed to new 52-week highs Monday as investors cautiously picked up shares on expectations of stronger growth in 2004. A heightened terror alert limited gains though.</br></br>Trading was choppy and light as many investors got an early start on the Christmas holiday. The stock market will be open for a half session Wednesday, closed on Thursday and open for a half-day session Friday.</br></br>"There's a little bit of caution given the security alert," said Russ Koesterich, U.S. equity strategist at State Street Corp. in Boston. "That might be holding back what normally would be some follow-through from last week's gains."</br></br>At the close Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 59.78 points, or 0.6 percent, at 10,338.00, its highest level since May 17, 2002.</br></br>The Nasdaq composite index gained 4.78, or 0.3 percent, to 1955.80, having edged up 0.1 percent last week.