11.   Traders remain optimistic the market will finish the year higher.

12.   Traders were divided on whether the market will finish the year higher.

13.   Yet the stock and bond markets finished ahead for the week.

14.   Blue chip stocks bailed out of a steep decline to finish fractionally higher Friday, while the broad market finished mixed.

15.   Blue chip stocks climbed out of a hole Tuesday, enabling the market to finish mixed despite another volatile session for technology issues.

16.   But the broader market finished virtually flat because investors held off buying ahead of potentially market-moving economic data due later this week.

17.   Earlier, European markets had finished higher.

18.   Elsewhere, European markets finished higher, while Asian markets closed mostly lower.

19.   European markets also rallied at first, then faded to slight losses in London and Paris, while German markets finished higher.

20.   Initially rattled by plunging Asian markets, European stocks staged a cautious recovery Wednesday, while the U.S. markets finished the day mixed.