The last day of 2012 was the best last day of a trading year ever, at least as far as the Dow is concerned which tacked on an additional 166 points on increasing optimism over a fiscal cliff solution. Trading resumed on Wednesday after New Years with a bang, as the markets reacted to the long-awaited, if not tardy, fiscal cliff solution from Congress. The 308 point Dow gain was its largest ever for the first trading day of a year. The rally stopped on Thursday following news that some Fed Reserve members are in favor of ending its bond-buying initiative to stimulate the economy. Still, the day’s losses were minimal. On Friday, stocks continued their upward trek on a job report that met expectations. The US unemployment rate rose marginally from 7.7% to 7.8%. The Dow finished at a 5-year high.
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