Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, November 4, 2019.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Stock futures pointed to a higher open on Thursday morning, adding to a record-setting rally in the year-end.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 36 points, implying a 31-point gain at the open. Futures on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were also trading higher.
Stocks have been piling up record highs as the market wraps up 2019. The S&P 500 has risen 2.6% this month and 8.2% this quarter, bring the year-to-date gains to 28.6%. The benchmark has a chance at scoring a historic year: If it finishes the year up more than 29.6%, it would stand as the best annual performance in 22 years.
In a shortened Christmas Eve session on Tuesday, the S&P 500 finished flat and the Nasdaq Composite edged higher to another new record. The tech-heavy index also posted its ninth consecutive record close for the first time since 1998.