US stocks edged lower on Thursday as the recent rally and light volume left investors reluctant to take on much more risk before the new year. After a 6.5 percent rally this month even a series of better-than-expected economic reports was not enough to spark buying activity on the penultimate trading day of the year. Shares in Monster World-wide Inc, an employment agency, rose 3.6 percent to $24.48 after the data.
The Dow Jones US business training and employment agencies index rose 0.8 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 23.46 points, or 0.20 percent, to 11,561.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 2.34 points, or 0.19 percent, to 1,257.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 3.58 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,663.35. The S&P 500 is on course to close out its best December since 1991 when the index rose 11.2 percent.
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