US stocks pare yearly gain

A trader wears glasses that say "2017" ahead of the new year on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 30, 2016, the last business day of this year. - REUTERS

NEW YORK: US stocks pared the biggest annual gain in at least two years as indexes slipped in light holiday trading on Friday. A spike in the euro trimmed the dollar’s fourth straight yearly advance, while Brent crude trimmed its gain in 2016 to 52%.

The S&P 500 Index cut its advance this year to 9.8%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was poised to finish the year 200 points below 20,000 after climbing within 30 points earlier in the week. Trading volume was at least 30% below the 30-day average at this time of day.