Closing Bell

Stocks edged up on Thursday, with the benchmark S&P 500 closing at a two-year high, a trend investors expect to continue through the rest of the year. Investors loaded up on bank stocks, which have risen 12.4 percent for the month. Late in the year, winning positions often attract buyers seeking to improve fund performance in a practice known as window dressing. The Nasdaq finished higher for the seventh straight day and closed at its highest level since December 2007. Expectations of reduced volatility suggest a steady climb through the rest of the year. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), a barometer of Wall Street anxiety, fell more than 2 percent to 17.25. The VIX usually moves inversely to the benchmark S&P index. The Dow was pressured by major manufacturer DuPont after it gave its outlook for 2011. DuPont slipped 1.1 percent to $48.32. A tentative agreement with congressional Republicans to extend tax breaks announced by President Barack Obama hit opposition from prominent Democrats. Wall Street wants the tax breaks to boost returns and spur growth, but news of the Democratic squabbling failed to rattle investors. The S&P 500 closed above 1,228, a resistance level that represents the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of the 2007-2009 bear market slide, which has proven difficult for the index to stay above in recent sessions. A Labor Department report showed first-time claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, which investors saw as positive after last week's disappointing payrolls figures.

A great day for us as we netted + 5 ES Points for the day and took several swing trade positions. We apologize for our technical glitch via our comments section. We will be looking to implement a new service ASAP.