Nasdaq Pegs 2000 Again

Updated from 4:05 p.m. EST

Stocks finished sharply higher Monday afternoon as the traditional Santa Claus rally continued into the last trading week of the year with the Nasdaq Composite closing above the 2000 mark for the first time since January 2001.

The Dow added 125.33 points, or 1.2%, to 10,450.00, a 21-month closing high; the S&P 500 rose 13.59 points, or 1.2%, to 1109.47, a 20-month high; and the Nasdaq gained 33.34 points, or 1.7%, to 2006.48, a 23-month high.

Volume was very light as the holiday trading pattern continues; 1.06 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, while 1.40 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. Advancers beat decliners by more than 3 to 1 on the NYSE and by about 7 to 3 on the Nasdaq. ...