Viktor Hovland suffers freak injury in bedroom days before PGA Tour season openerStock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street Thursday, as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index’s three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier last week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued last week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up 26.6% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.

Lara Trump stepping down as RNC co-chair and addressing speculation about Florida Senate seatBISMARCK – North Dakota’s snowmobile official season will open Dec. 1, but several conditions must be met before the state’s 2,800 miles of snowmobile trails are open, groomed and ready for travel, the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department said in a news release. Adequate snow cover of 4 packed inches must be on the ground to allow for trail grooming. Signs must be put in place, and to travel across wetland areas, the ice must be thick enough to support the weight of trail groomers. ADVERTISEMENT The public is encouraged to prepare now in order to be ready to ride when the trails have sufficient snowpack by completing this checklist: “Snowmobiling is a great way to connect to the outdoors during our winter season,” said Tony Hillig, recreation chief for North Dakota Parks and Recreation. “People can support local communities, enjoy time with family, and explore many areas of our state they may not have visited before.” The public can view updates and trail conditions through the free Snowmobile North Dakota mobile app. The app also tracks trips, current location on a trail using GPS, and offers locations of nearby amenities while allowing users to save and load itineraries. More features are available by upgrading to the pro version. In addition to the app, online trail maps and current trail conditions can be found online at snowmobileND.org. “North Dakota’s snowmobile trails offer something for everyone, from thrilling rides through open fields to scenic routes through forested areas,” said Todd Thronson, SnowmobileND executive director. “Riders are encouraged to ride responsibly, stay on designated trails, and most importantly, have fun.” North Dakota law requires youth ages 10 and older who do not have a valid driver's license or permit to take a safety certification class. The safety certification class can be taken online at any time. More information can be found on the Parks and Recreation Department website at parkrec.nd.gov.