S&P 500 closes at record high on retail sales cheer
Dec 27 - The S&P 500 indexended at a record high on Monday, its fourth straight session of gains, as strong U.S. retail sales underscored economic strength and eased worries from Omicron-driven flight cancellations that hit travel stocks.U.S. retail sales increased 8.5% year-over-year this holiday season, powered by an ecommerce boom, according to a Mastercard Inc report, giving the S&P 500 retailing indexa boost.Travel-related stocks, typically sensitive to coronavirus news, declined after U.S
S&P 500 opens at record after holidays, but airline shares slide following Covid cancellations
U.S. stock indexes rose Monday as markets reopened after the Christmas holiday and investors assessed the spread of the omicron Covid-19 variant.The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained about 115 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 added 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite ticked up 0.4%.Airline stocks fell after a holiday weekend that saw thousands of flights canceled due to Covid-related issues. The rampant spread of the omicron variant led to a staffing shortage at a time when airlines were looking to ramp