U.S. stock markets showed mixed performance on December 16 (local time). Investors are examining key economic indicators, interest rate forecasts, and corporate earnings, leading to differentiated stock-by-stock movements.

As of the afternoon in Korean time, major index trends are as follows.

■ Dow and Russell Strong

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 399.24 points (0.77%) from the previous trading day, trading at 52,070.27. The intraday high is 52,103.02, and the low is 51,712.63.

The Russell 2000 index, which centers on small- and mid-cap stocks, is up 20.81 points (0.70%) at 2,985.90, showing the strongest trend among major indices.

■ S&P 500 Firmly Flat

The large-cap-focused S&P 500 index is trading up 4.42 points (0.06%) at 7,558.71. It rose as high as 7,564.42 intraday, maintaining a firm flat range.

■ Nasdaq Slightly Lower

The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite is down 15.52 points (0.06%) at 26,668.42. The intraday high is 26,696.07, and the low is 26,636.23.

The market assesses that the recent solid growth of the U.S. economy and expectations for corporate earnings are supporting investor sentiment. However, profit-taking in some technology stocks has left the Nasdaq unable to avoid limited weakness.

Investors are keeping a close eye on upcoming economic indicators, the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy direction, and major corporate earnings results.

The industry expects rotational buying across sectors to continue amid the coexistence of interest rate cut expectations and concerns over an economic slowdown.

[※ This article was written with AI assistance. Investment decisions are the responsibility of the investor, and the information contained in this article may change depending on market conditions.]