NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks finished the year with strong gains, with all three major stock averages booking their best performance since 2003.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) stood at 12,463 at the unofficial 4 p.m. close on Friday, the final trading session of the year, marking a 16% gain for the year.
This was the Dow's best performance since 2003.
General Motors Corp. (GM) and AT&T Inc. (T) were the two best performing stocks among blue chips, while Intel Corp. (INTC) and Home Depot Inc. (HD) were the two worst performers.
The S&P 500 ($SPX) gained 14% for the year, while the Nasdaq Composite (COMP) advanced 10%, also marking the two averages best performance since 2003.
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