Stocks End Banner Year Few Imagined in January: Markets Wrap

S&P 500 jumps 27% in 2021, surpasses most bullish outlooks
Stocks close lower on the final trading day of the year

WATCH: Mohamed El-Erian sees a “trifecta” of risks facing the U.S. economy in 2022.Source: Bloomberg

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By Stephen Kirkland and Emily Graffeo

December 30, 2021 at 10:14 PM UTC

Updated on

December 31, 2021 at 9:05 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

U.S. stocks ended the year with a rally few predicted back in January, even after a slide late in the final trading day.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 both fell on Friday in a choppy session with thin volumes. But that performance follows a banner year for equities, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 surging about 27%, surpassing even the most bullish outlooks at the start of the year.