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Stocks were mostly higher, though unsettled trading made gains uncertain. Wall Street processed a jump in wage growth that raised the chances of a Fed more hawkish in its assessment of the economy. Factory orders in November reversed gains seen in October as the road to recovery in the manufacturing sector proved a choppy one. Orders in the U.S. declined by 2.4%. Walmart dragged on the Dow Jones Industrial Average after a C-suite switch-up at its Sam's Club chain. The current chief merchandising officer at the members-only retailer will resume the position of CEO effective February 1. Gap climbed after reporting positive comparable-store sales over its holiday season. Sales growth was a welcome departure from the disappointing performances of other retailers such as Kohl's and Macy's .

Samsung is predicting its biggest profit in 3 years, just months after the massive recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. The company's guidance indicates the costly recall of its Note 7 phone was only a temporary blip rather than a lingering hit to consumer confidence. It appears its major financial repercussions of the recall may have been confined to the 3rd quarter of 2016. Gap ( ) stock is jumping as much as 12% on a surprisingly good month of sales. It reported companywide comparable sales rose 4$ in December, a strong finish to a very competitive holiday season. The clothing retailer has been struggling for the last 2 years to adjust to changing fashion tastes. The Chinese currency jumped overnight by the most since 2005. The government guided the yuan higher against the U.S. dollar. Markets are waiting on the December payroll numbers, which will be the final major economic report of the Obama presidency.

U.S. stocks were mixed on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average retreating from the closely watched 20,000 level. The ADP Employment Report showed private payrolls rose by 153,000 in December, missing estimates of 170,000. The report typically foreshadows Friday's official jobs numbers from the government. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance were in focus after reporting adjusted first quarter earnings of $1.10 a share, beating estimates by a penny. Revenue dropped 1.8% year over year to $28.5 billion, missing forecasts of $29.2 billion. Walgreens is in the process of acquiring Rite Aid RAD for $9.5 billion. Shares declined 0.5% on Thursday. Constellation Brands shares rose after reporting adjusted third quarter earnings of $1.96 a share, topping estimates of $1.72. Revenue rose 10% year over year to $1.8 billion, matching estimates. Beer sales rose 16%, topping the 5% increase in wine sales. The stock is up 2.3% over the past 12 months. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

Macy's ( ) says it will close 68 stores, part of the 100 already announced. The store closing are across the nation. 10,000 jobs will be affected by the closing. Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren said he is pleased with double digit gains online and will use the money saved shuttering the stores on e-commerce. Kohls ( ) also warned that its earnings per share guidance won't be as expected. The U.S. labor department is trying to ban Google ( ) from doing business with the federal government unless it turns over confidential information about thousands of its employees. It alleges that Google has repeatedly refused to provide the department with employee compensation records and other information to ensure the company isn't discriminating against workers based on gender or race. The Consumer Electronics Show kicks off today in Las Vegas. Robots, self driving cars and even smart belt buckles will be featured.

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.

U.S. stocks rose Wednesday in the second trading session of 2017, though the Dow Jones Industrial Average has yet to hit the critical 20,000 level. Investors awaited the minutes of the Federal Reserve's December meeting, which are released in the afternoon. Analysts expect commentary on the path of interest rates in 2017 and the central bank's take on the recent strengthening of the U.S. dollar. Amazon shares were in focus after deliveries for third party outlets rose 50% to over 2 billion items in 2016. This part of Amazon's business falls under its Fulfillment by Amazon division, where outside retailers pay Amazon to package and ship items. Tesla shares moved lower after missing 2016 delivery estimates. The automaker delivered 76,230 vehicles for the year, missing estimates of a range between 80,000 and 90,000. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

The global Brent crude contract reached a fresh 18-month high but has backed down on the strong U.S. dollars. An expected drop in oil inventories released later today is sending oil prices higher today. There are also signs that the production cut announced by oil producing nations will stick. Tesla ( ) shares are under pressure this morning as deliveries missed forecasts. Production delays continue to plague the automaker. Tesla says it delivered about 22,200 vehicles in the final 3 months of the year. The total trailed the automaker's projection for 25,000 units and brought its full year tally to 76,230 vehicle, below the 80,000 expected. A Wall Street lawyer is emerging as President elect Donald Trump's top choice for Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Reuters reports that Jay Clayton has worked on high profile initial public offerings such as Alibaba ( ) Group. Also Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson has agreed to cut ties with Exxon Mobil ( ).

Stocks eased back from session highs, though remained in the green. The Dow Jones Industrial Average's march to 20,000 remained as elusive as ever with the index coming within 60 points of the milestone earlier in the session. U.S. manufacturing activity had a strong end to 2016. The U.S. ISM manufacturing index increased to a two-year high with both production and new orders on the rise. A separate reading from Markit hit a 21-month high. U.S. construction spending also surged at the end of last year. The metric rose by 0.9% in November, hitting a more than 10-year high. Ford announced plans to cancel a new $1.6 billion plant in Mexico. The automaker will instead invest $700 million in Michigan to expand existing facilities.

U.S. stocks rallied early Tuesday, on the first trading session of 2017, building on last year's gains. President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter to slam General Motors for producing its Cruze model in Mexico. Trump reiterated the need for a border tax in order to keep manufacturing in the U.S. General Motors responded saying only its Cruze hatchback vehicle, that is sold overseas, is made in Mexico. U.S.-sold Cruze models are made in Ohio. Last month, Trump tweeted about Boeing and Lockheed Martin . Oil prices rose to an 18-month high as production cuts between OPEC and non-OPEC members took effect. Brent crude eclipsed $58 a barrel. The cuts were agreed to in December. Twitter shares were in focus after its China head Kathy Chen stepped down after only eight months on the job. Twitter is blocked in China. This is the latest executive to leave Twitter. Its chief technology officer and chief operating office departed in late 2016. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.

Stocks fluctuated in quiet trading ahead of the long Christmas break weekend. Dow 20,000, which looked all but a certainty earlier in the week, has grown more remote since Wednesday. New home sales surged in November in the latest sign of a housing recovery chugging along. Sales of new homes rose by 5.2%, stronger than economists' consensus. Consumer sentiment increased to its best level in 12 years as Americans grew more confident in the strength of the U.S. economy. Consumers were also more positive over President-elect Trump's economic politics. Chinese officials hit GM with a roughly $29 million fine after an investigation into alleged monopolistic pricing activities. GM reportedly colluded with dealers to fix prices for a number of its vehicles, breaking antitrust laws.