The stock market finished on a strong note in the two-week period ended Dec. 18, as the Fed announced it would reduce monthly bond buying by only $10 billion a month to $75 billion. The news sent the national indices to record highs, with the Dow Jones Industrial index ending with a 1.8 percent increase while the Nasdaq showed a gain of 0.8 percent. By comparison the Valley 50 had a loss of 0.1 percent. The biggest gainers were Tix Corp., the discount ticket seller, with a 14 percent gain followed by retailer-on-the-rebound Sport Chalet Inc. with a 13 percent gain. The biggest loser was Talon International, the zipper and apparel trim manufacturer, with a 21 percent drop.
