Stocks Ended Mixed, S&P Extended Gain

U.S. stocks finished little changed on Monday, as the S&P 500 edged up to another record close, but the Dow industrials dipped and ended a seven-session winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 15.48 points, or 0.09%, to 18,038.23. The S&P 500 rose 1.80 points, or 0.09%, to 2,090.57. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.051 point, to 4,806.91.

Retailers may have their best holiday sales growth in eight years, but it will likely come at a cost to profit. December same-store sales are expected to rise 4%, the biggest increase since 2006, according to data from Retail Metrics.

Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills fell in Monday’s auction, after rising last week. The Treasury Department auctioned $24 billion in three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.040 percent, down from 0.055 percent last week.