Dow's Rally To Record Close Belies Weak Market Breadth

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 32 points to a second-straight record close above 20,000, with 17 of 30 components gaining ground, but most stocks in the broader market fell. The number of declining stocks outnumbered advancers by a 1,523 to 1,400 margin on the NYSE and by a 1,731 to 1,042 score on the Nasdaq exchange. Volume in advancing stocks was 39% of the NYSE's total volume, and 44% of the Nasdaq's total volume. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, the Nasdaq Composite eased less than 0.1% and the Russell 2000 index of small-capitalization stocks fell 0.5%.