S&P 500 Rallies to Close the Year at Record High: Markets Wrap Bloomberg 12/31/2020 Vildana Hajric and Sarah Ponczek (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks climbed to a record high on the year’s final trading day amid thin trading. The dollar eked out an advance. The S&P 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average turned positive in the afternoon and ended at all-time highs. Volume was about 15% below average on the S&P. Financial companies were among the best performers, while energy producers slumped. European stocks dipped. Markets in Japan, Germany and South Korea were shut for New Year’s Eve.