Slim market gains hold up

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. markets traded only narrowly higher overall Friday, despite strong gains among blue chip financial stocks.

Among the most active stocks, Citigroup rose 5.08 percent, Bank of America rose 1.35 percent and Wells Fargo & Co. gained 2.88 percent.

By close, the Dow Jones industrial average added 20.63 points or 0.2 percent to 10,328.89. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 6.39 or 0.58 percent to 1,102.47. The Nasdaq composite index added to early gains, rising 31.64 or 1.45 percent to 2,211.69.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,774 stocks advanced and 1,242 declined on a volume of 6.3 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bill fell 17/32 to yield 3.546 percent.

The euro was unchanged, trading at $1.434. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 90.37 yen from Thursday's 89.95 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index lost 0.21 percent, 21.75, to 10,142.05.

In London, the FTSE 100 index lost 0.4 percent, 20.80, to 5,196.81.