U.S. stocks slip from records as wait continues for Congress

Associated Press | Friday, December 18, 2020 2:36 p.m.

New York Stock Exchange via AP

Trader Ashley Lara, left, works on the floor during the Golden Falcon IPO on Friday.

NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes pulled back from their record levels Friday as the wait drags on to see if Congress can reach a deal to send more cash to struggling workers and businesses.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4%, a day after it and other major indexes returned to record heights.Hope that Congress may be nearing a deal to offer more support for the economy helped the S&P 500 post a 1.3% gain this week. So has enthusiasm about vaccines for COVID-19, which investors hope will get the economy back on the road to normalcy next year.