Summary: The Dow Jones Industrial Average moved within 100 points of its 20,000 milestone again, though struggled to build momentum to cross that threshold. Consumer goods stocks drove the bulk of gains, while energy lagged. U.S. auto sales for December were generally positive with General Motors and Ford both posting sales growth last month. Fiat Chrysler reported a drop in sales, though at a slower pace than forecast. Delta Air Lines moved higher after reporting positive traffic trends in December. Revenue passenger miles and capacity both increased, while its load factor increased by 90 basis points. The airline anticipates fourth-quarter unit revenue to decline. Panera Bread rose after Oppenheimer upped its rating to OUTPERFORM from PERFORM. The firm said the fast-casual chain has an attractive setup and could achieve higher than 20% earnings growth in 2018.
