US stocks advanced in a thinly traded session on Wednesday with the S&P 500 eyeing its best December in nearly two decades as investors remained optimistic about the prospects for equities next year. The S&P 500 has gained 6.7 percent so far this month and has risen in 17 of the last 20 sessions.
However, with volume around the holidays registering some of the lowest levels of the year, some investors are waiting for January to see if the trend holds. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 23.42 points, or 0.20 percent, to 11,598.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 2.31 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1,260.82.
The Nasdaq Composite Index added 4.70 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,667.58. The S&P 500 has risen above levels reached on September 12, 2008, the last trading day before Lehman Brothers collapsed, and is on course for its biggest December gains since 1991 when it rose 11.2 percent.
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