Trading may be quiet on Christmas Eve, but that hasn't stopped the S&P 500 from notching another milestone.The index inched up 0.2%, good enough to hit a new intraday high of just over 6,921 points. It's the first time since Oct. 29 that the benchmark gauge has set an intraday record.The gains mean that the S&P 500 is on pace for its 39th record close of the year, and 1.1% short of topping 7,000 points for the first time. ...

Group 1 - The Dow is on track to close above 46,000 for the first time, marking a significant milestone in its trading history [1] - This would also represent the first 1,000 point gain for the Dow in 2025, following a close at 45,000 191 trading days ago [1] - Goldman Sachs has been the biggest contributor to this 1,000 point gain, while UnitedHealth Group has detracted the most points from the index [2]

Group 1 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has undergone significant changes in its composition, with tech-focused companies increasingly dominating the index [1][5][15] - The addition of companies like Salesforce, Amgen, Honeywell, Amazon, and Nvidia has shifted the Dow towards a growth-oriented focus, moving away from its traditional value and income characteristics [2][7][15] - Financial stocks have performed well, contributing to a higher weighting in the Dow, with five major financial companies accounting for 23.9% of the index [5][6] Group 2 - The current highest-weighted component in the Dow is Goldman Sachs, with a share price over $560, indicating the impact of stock prices on the index's composition [6] - Despite being valuable, companies like Amazon and Nvidia have below-average weightings in the Dow due to prior stock splits, highlighting the complexities of index weightings [7] - The Dow's growth focus may lead to increased volatility, especially during market sell-offs, as seen in the current year where the Dow is down despite gains in sectors typically associated with it [8][11] Group 3 - The evolution of the Dow reflects broader economic changes, with technology becoming a more significant part of the U.S. economy, leading to a shift in the index's representation [12][14] - The largest U.S.-based companies by market cap are now predominantly tech-focused, indicating a need for the Dow to modernize to remain relevant [13][15] - The changes in the Dow are seen as necessary to accurately represent the current economic landscape, with companies like Nvidia and Amazon better fitting their respective industries compared to older incumbents [15]