S&P 500 closes at a record | Meme stocks and SPACs: A wild year in the market | Dan Niles’ 2022 picks

Stocks rose for a third day on Thursday, capping off a holiday-shortened week of solid gains.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE THU, DEC 23, 2021 EVENING BRIEF AS OF THU, DEC 23, 2021 • 04:52 ET DJIA 35950.56 +0.55% +196.67 S&P 500 4725.79 +0.62% +29.23 NASDAQ 15653.37 +0.85% +131.48   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 176.28 +0.64 +0.36% INTC 51.31 +0.34 +0.67% MSFT 334.69 +1.49 +0.45% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 176.28 +0.64 +0.36% F 20.25 +0.11 +0.55% AMD 146.14 +2.26 +1.57% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 176.28 +0.64 +0.36% AMD 146.14 +2.26 +1.57% MU 94.42 +4.08 +4.52%   EDITOR'S NOTE Stocks rose for a third day on Thursday, capping off a holiday-shortened week of solid gains.   The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 196.67 points. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and closed at a record of 4,725.79.  The Nasdaq Composite added nearly 0.9%.   Thursday's gains left the S&P 500 about 0.4% from its all-time intraday high. The broad-market index is back near record territory after a minor sell-off from the omicron scare.   "What is interesting about [Thursday] is it isn't just the U.S. that is strong, literally every country in Europe and Asia were also higher," said Ryan Detrick of LPL Financial. "This can only mean one thing, the globe is showing one big sigh of relief over the omicron worries not being nearly as bad as we feared a few weeks ago." Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Merck's Covid treatment pill on Thursday. This followed Pfizer's pill approval on Wednesday — making it the first oral antiviral drug cleared since the start of the pandemic.   For the week, the Dow rose 1.6%, and the S&P 500 popped nearly 2.3%. The Nasdaq Composite rallied close to 3.2% since Monday.    Reopening plays like airlines and cruise lines were some of the biggest winners this week during the comeback. Carnival rose nearly 16% since Monday. Hilton Worldwide rallied 9.7% this week.   The stock market will be closed on Friday for the Christmas holiday. Maggie Fitzgerald | CNBC Markets Reporter @mkmfitzgerald Watch our live stream for all you need to know to invest smarter. TOP NEWS  S&P 500 closes at a record following 3-day rebound from omicron sell-off FDA clears second at-home Covid treatment, from Merck Kim Potter, ex-Minnesota officer, found guilty of manslaughter in death of Daunte Wright New York will require masks and social distancing at scaled-back Times Square New Year's celebration Meme stocks, SPAC craze and a $100 million deli: It was a wild year in the market Sales of newly built homes tank as affordability hits buyers Tech investor Dan Niles gives his top 2022 picks and what he's betting against Sen. Chris Coons, 7 staffers who traveled with Defense deputy secretary have Covid Crocs CEO defends $2.5 billion Hey Dude acquisition as shares tumble Facebook lost a bunch of talent in 2021 — here are the most notable departures   TOP VIDEO Chip shortage will 'moderate significantly into the first half of the year,' says Dan Ives   CNBC PRO The official Wall Street forecasts are in. Here's what they predict for the stock market in 2022   SPECIAL REPORTS Monthly child tax credit payments have ended. Here's why lawmakers face hurdles to add more Covid tests are in short supply — here's where you might still find them for free   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS Watch our live stream for all you need to know to invest smarter.