NEW YORK, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks opened mixed on Friday, the last trading day this year.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 7.69 points, or 0.03 percent, to 24,845.20. The S&P 500 increased 0.99 points, or 0.04 percent, to 2,688.53. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 2.63 points, or 0.04 percent, to 6,947.53.

The S&P has gained 20 percent this year, on pace for its best year since 2013, with technology and consumer discretionary the top two performers.

The Dow is on track for its first nine-month winning streak since 1959, and the Nasdaq composite is on pace to post gains in 11 of 12 months in 2017, a historic record for the tech-heavy index.

Trading has been lighter than usual this week as investors get ready for the new year. With no major data due on Friday, traders will pay close attention to the moves in markets such as commodities.

Oil prices rose on Friday, with U.S. crude trading above 60 U.S. dollars a barrel, as a decline in U.S. production and commercial crude inventories lifted sentiment. Enditem