Wall Street Ends Flat On The First Day Trading 2015

New York (Antara Bali) - Wall Street stocks ended the first trading day of the new year on Friday (Saturday morning GMT) with little change (flat), following a sluggish US economic data and many market participants are still on vacation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 9.92 points (0.06 percent) to close at 17832.99.

The broad-based S & P 500 slipped 0.70 points (0.03 percent) to 2058.20, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 9.24 points (0.20 percent) to 4726.81.

All three indexes spent most of the first day of 2015 in the red, after a report showed US construction spending was lower in November and weak manufacturing activity in December.

But shares somewhat stronger in the last 30 minutes of trading, allowing the Dow posted modest gains and reduce losses of two other indices. Analysts said the thin trading volume after the market closed on Thursday for the New Year's Day.

"This year really begins on Monday," said Dan Greenhaus, chief global strategy at BTIG.

The S & P 500 rose 11.4 percent in 2014, marking the third consecutive year with double-digit gains.

The main challenge for bigger profits in 2015, including weak growth in Europe and developing countries, the blow of oil prices fell sharply against Russia and other petroleum exporting countries, as well as the blow of any change in policy interest rates ultra-low US Federal Reserve.

Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital, predicts 2015 will be a good year for US stocks, but also became one of the most unstable.

"We will see the trip` bull` (passion) other, "he said. "However, we will see more of the correction and the correction will be steeper than they were in 2014."

Rite Aid drugstore chain rose 1.5 percent after reporting Friday that its stores sales rose 5.3 percent in December compared with the year-ago period.

Linn Energy shares rose 12.30 percent since announced that Blackstone Group will finance the drilling program for Linn in exchange for payment on successful wells.

Linn also cut 2015 capital expenditure budget by 53 percent and said it would cut its dividend to 1.25 dollars per share of 2.90 US dollars due to the decline in oil prices.

Bond prices rose. The yield on 10-year government bonds fell to 2.12 percent from 2.17 percent on Wednesday, while the 30-year bond fell to 2.69 percent from 2.75 percent. Bond prices and yields move inversely. (MFD)