Mumbai, Dec. 29 -- The Dow also edged down 20.19 points or less than a tenth of a percent to 48,710.97 while the Nasdaq slipped 20.21 points (0.1%) to 23,593.10.

Despite choppy day-to-day trading, Wall Street capped a strong week, with the S&P 500 climbing 1.4% and both the Dow and Nasdaq rising 1.2%. Trading volume was thin as many investors stayed sidelined after Christmas and some hesitated to make big bets following the recent rally to record highs.

Looking ahead, trading could stay quiet next week due to the New Year's Day holiday. Still, markets may react to data on weekly jobless claims, pending home sales, and the release of minutes from the Fed's latest policy meeting. Reflecting the lackluster performance by the broader market...