US Stocks finish rocky year like it never happened (ext)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- From up 8% to down 12%, stocks finished 2011 with an annual change of 0.003%...about as flat as you can get.

The S&P 500 index finished 2011 less than a point away from where it ended 2010 -- 0.04 points down to be exact. That's the smallest annual change in history.

The mixed finish marks the end of a two-year winning streak for stocks.

Investors are happy to put 2011 to bed. From unrest in the Middle East and Japan's devastating earthquake to Europe's worsening debt crisis to the ongoing bickering in Washington, stocks experienced some violent swings.

So it's little wonder that investors are thankful for a quiet end to the year. Stocks finished little changed Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 69 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 (SPX) dropped 5 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq (COMP) fell 9 points, or 0.3%.

Despite the dull finish, the U.S. stock market's performance could have been a lot worse, if you consider the performance of global markets.

The dollar rose agianst the the euro. The greenback slipped versus the British pound and the Japanese yen.

Oil for February delivery fell 82 cents to settle at $98.83 a barrel. Crude prices rose more than 8% in 2011, marking the third consecutive years of increases.

Gold futures for February delivery added $25.90, or 1.7%, to settle at $1,566.80 an ounce.