Oh so close to Dow 12,000

With just a few minutes to the close of trading, the Dow slipped a few points to finish at 11,985. The index had been over 12,000 for much of the session. Getting over that mark will receive lots of attention (MSM loves the Dow because it's so easy to digest) but it's the S&P 500 that's considered a more significant metric. It's currently at 1296. From CNBC:

"It's a critical area,"said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS. "There's supposed to a lot of resistance between 1298 and 1302....If they go above that, they would be preparing for another leg up." Carter Worth, chief market technician, at Oppenheimer Asset Management, said the next big number he's watching is 1310 on the S&P. He said it is right to focus on the Dow 12,000 milestone, but it doesn't really say that much about the market. "It's maybe something that's a headline but it doesn't mean a whole lot" he said.