Markets hover near record levels as Wall Street prepares to close early for Christmas holiday

Market Overview - Wall Street remained largely unchanged with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.1%, S&P 500 index up less than 0.1%, and Nasdaq Composite down 0.1% as of early Wednesday [1] - Markets will close early at 1 p.m. ET for Christmas Eve and will be closed for Christmas, with a full trading day on Friday expected but with light volumes due to the holiday [2] Economic Indicators - Recent reports indicate high inflation and declining consumer confidence, with concerns over high prices affecting the labor market and retail sales [3] - U.S. applications for jobless claims fell by 10,000 to 214,000 for the week ending Dec. 20, which is below the forecast of 232,000 new applications [4] Company News - Dynavax Technologies' stock surged 38% following Sanofi's announcement of its acquisition for $2.2 billion, which will enhance Sanofi's portfolio with Dynavax's hepatitis B vaccines and a shingles vaccine in development [5] Commodity Market - Both gold and silver futures experienced increases, with silver prices rising over 1%, while U.S. crude oil prices rose 0.4% to $58.61 per barrel [6]