Christmas Comes Early For the Dow: Average Near Record; Technology Stocks Up
NEW YORK, Dec. 24ÛÓThe .stock market sent investors home for Christmas on a happy note today, thanks largely to a rebound in bellwether technology shares.</br></br>In an abbreviated pre-holiday session, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.83 points to close at 6522.85, moving within 25 points of Nov. 25's all-time best close at 6547.79. It was the. sixth straight winning session for the ÐÊ' \ barometer of 30 big U.S. companies.</br></br>The Dow is up more than 1,400 points, or nearly 27.5 percent, so far this year, with just four trading days left.</br></br>The technology-laden Nasdaq Stock Market shot higher over the last half hour of trading today, as bargain hunters bid up some computer-related issues that had fallen due to profit-taking,' in the previous two sessions. Ûª , Û¢ "A few stocks got hit hard yesterday and theyÛªve rebounded a bit, but itÛªs not anything to brag about,Û said Don Hays, director of investment strategy at Wheat First Butcher Singer Inc., in Richmond. Aside from technology,, he said, "there was no group personality. It was just a mixed bag.Û</br></br>Analysts attributed much of the ses^ sionÛªs positive tone to seasonal influences and the fight, pre-holiday trading.