U.S. markets opened Friday with modest declines, and many brokers were expected to stay home or pack up early on the last day of trading for 2010.
No governemnt reports were expected.
On Thursday, the Labor Depertment said weekly first-time unemployment benefit claims dropped under 400,000 for the first time since July 2008, ending 2010 reports on a positive note.
In midmorning trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 24.79 points, 0.21 percent, to 11,544.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 0.2 percent, 2.57, to 1,255.31. The Nasdaq composite index lost 0.47 percent, 12.40, to 2,650.58.
The benchmark 10-year treasury note rose 11/32 to yield 3.328 percent.
The euro rose to $1.3379 from Thursday's $1.3288. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 81.20 yen from Thurday's 81.58 yen.