Stocks take early vacation, end flat (ext)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- U.S. stocks ended a strong week on a quiet note Thursday, as mixed economic data kept investors from jumping in ahead of a long holiday weekend.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) edged up 14 points, or 0.1%; the S&P 500 (SPX) fell 2 points, or 0.2%; and the Nasdaq (COMP) slipped 6 points, or 0.2%. The three major indexes were about 1% higher for the week.

On Wednesday, stocks ended at fresh two-year highs as oil prices topped $90 a barrel.

Reports Thursday showed jobless claims barely budging, new home sales rising slightly and personal income and spending ticking higher.

But Wall Street was relatively unfazed by the data, with stocks hovering near the break-even point for most of the session. Many investors have already left their desks for the holidays, and U.S. markets will be closed Friday for the holiday weekend.

"Everyone is on vacation or just taking a break from the stock market," said Tony Zabiegala, managing partner at Strategic Wealth Partners.

While gains have been modest in recent sessions, stocks are still on track to post double-digit increases for the year.

"Economic news continues to show moderate growth," said Keith Springer, president of Springer Financial Advisors. "The market is in a period -- and will be for a while -- where not terrible news is good news, so at this point there's no reason for stocks to sell off unless we get terrible news."

Economy: Before the opening bell, the Commerce Department reported that personal income rose 0.3% and personal spending rose 0.4% in November. The results were mixed, compared to expectations.

A consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected the report to show that income rose by 0.2% in November, and spending to have risen 0.5% during the month.

Oil for February delivery jumped $1.03, or 1%, to settle at a fresh two-year high of $91.51 a barrel, a day after crude topped $90 a barrel for the first time since 2008.

The dollar lost ground against the euro, Japanese yen and British pound.

Gold futures for February delivery fell $8.40 to settle at $1,380.50 an ounce.