Standard & Poor's index rises to a new record

The S&P 500 rose to a new record today as the Nasdaq and the Dow Jones rose after strong US retail sales data, which rose 8.5% in the holiday season from November 1 to December 24, and the S&P 500 retail index rose 0.18%. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index is looking for its best performance for three years since 1999, the Dow Jones is looking for an annual jump of 18.37% and the Nasdaq Composite is looking forward to an annual rise of 23%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 276.24 points, or 0.77%, to 36,226.8 points, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 55.56 points, or 1.18%, to 4,781.35 points, and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 196.73 points, or 1.26%, to 15,850.10 points.