Markets Right Now: Stocks slip on last trading day of 2017

The latest on developments in financial markets (All times local):

4 p.m.

Stocks are ending lower on the final trading day of 2017, capping the best year for the Standard & Poor's 500 index in four years.

Losses in the technology, financial and health care sectors outweighed slight gains for consumer products makers Friday. Advanced Micro Devices gave up 2.6 percent.

Trading was light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.

Prices for crude oil and natural gas climbed.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 13 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,673.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 11 points, or 0.5 percent, to 24,719. The Nasdaq composite lost 46 points, or 0.7 percent, to 6,903.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.41 percent.

___

11:45 a.m.

U.S. stock indexes are edging lower at midday on the final trading day for of 2017.

Losses by technology and energy companies outweighed gains by consumer products and health care stocks Friday. Apple fell 1 percent.

Trading was light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday.

Oil prices climbed, and the price of natural gas rose again as cold weather hit large parts of the U.S.

Despite the early slide, stocks were on track to close the year with strong gains.

The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 2 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,685.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 15 points, or 0.06 percent, to 24,822. The Nasdaq lost 17 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,932.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.42 percent.

___

9:35 a.m.

Stocks are edging higher in early trading on Wall Street on the final trading day of the year.

Consumer products companies were posting gains in early trading Friday. Coca-Cola was up 0.5 percent.

SandRidge Energy rose 2 percent after calling off a deal to buy Bonanza Creek Energy. The deal had been opposed by activist investor Carl Icahn, a shareholder in SandRidge.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1 point to 2,688.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 9 points, or 0.04 percent, to 24,848. The Nasdaq composite was little changed at 6,947.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.42 percent.