Stocks are drifting higher on Wall Street in light trading as U.S. markets reopen following the Christmas holiday.

According to the latest Labor Department data, weekly jobless claims fell to 219,000 compared with expectations of 223,000.

The stock market had a surprisingly good year. What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the ...