Friday's midday trade: stocks nearly unchanged

US stocks were nearly unchanged Friday, the last trading day of a turbulent year, but the S&P 500 looked set to end with a slight gain. Many market participants stayed on the sidelines, reflecting what is typically ultra-light volume for the year's last session.
The CBOE VIX volatility index is up about 30 percent for the year, the first increase since 2008. The S&P climbed 9 percent at its peak, and dropped 14.5 percent to its bottom. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 27.67 points, or 0.23 percent, at 12,259.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 1.61 points, or 0.13 percent, at 1,261.41. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.66 points, or 0.03 percent, at 2,614.40.