New York, Jan 1 (IANS): US stocks declined in the last trading session of 2021.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 59.78 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 36,338.30. The S&P 500 was down 12.55 points, or 0.26 per cent, to 4,766.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 96.59 points, or 0.61 per cent, to 15,644.97.

Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with consumer staples up 0.71 per cent, outpacing the rest. Communication services slipped 1.21 per cent, the worst-performing group.

US-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower with eight of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P US Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note, Xinhua news agency reported.

Despite recent volatilities, all the three US major averages posted double-digit returns this year.

The S&P 500 jumped 26.9 per cent in 2021, marking the benchmark's third straight positive year. The Dow and Nasdaq advanced 18.7 per cent and 21.4 per cent, respectively, also notching their three-year winning streaks.