U.S. stocks finished slightly lower on Friday. In world markets, European stocks ended higher, led by the DAX in Germany rising 0.9 percent. Asian markets also ended higher, led by the Shanghai Composite rising 1.2 percent. Investors are grateful to end 2011 on a winning streak, as the S&P 500 index finished little changed for the year, and the Dow rose 5.5 percent. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq lost 1.8 percent for the year. The U.S. dollar rose versus the euro and fell versus the yen. Light sweet crude oil for February delivery fell 82 cents to $98.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures rose $25.90 to $1,566.80 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 69.48, or 0.6 percent, to 12,217.56. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 5.42, or 0.4 percent, to 1,257.60. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 8.59, or 0.3 percent, to 2,605.15.
