Wall Street sees subdued open on Christmas Eve, Republicans block $2K stimulus payment vote

9:55 am: Barely a trader is stirring to start the Christmas Eve session Shortly after the open, the Dow climbed 31 points, 0.1%, to 30,161.2 in the early hours of the short Christmas Eve session. The Nasdaq rose 60 points, 0.5%, to 12,833, and the S&P 500 picked up 8 points, 0.2%, to 3,698.1. Traders are watching closely as Republicans blocked an attempt from House Democrats Thursday morning to pass $2,000 direct payments as part of a coronavirus relief package. This developed after President Trump called the bill passed by Congress that would deliver $600 payments, "a disgrace," according to media reports. One stock struggling thus far is Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA). The Chinese tech giant lost nearly 12% to $225.58 after the news broke that the company was the target of an antitrust investigation by the country's government, CNBC reported. 7:12 am: Shortened trading day expected to start slow Wall Street is expected to see a lukewarm open to the shortened Christmas Eve trading day, with the Dow Jones, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq up a handful of points. The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq with shut up shop at 1 pm as traders unwind into the festive period. In Washington, the Democrats are pushing to approve the US$2,000 stimulus cheques proposed by Donald Trump. It would plump the US$600 payments for individuals approved as part of an US$892bn emergency package on Monday. House Democrats are expected to bring forward a new bill on Thursday, which is hoped to be passed by unanimous consent. In company news, International Business Machines Corp (NYSE:IBM) has agreed to pay US$24.25mln to resolve two investigations by the US Federal Communications Commission over subsidies the company was awarded to connect schools and libraries to broadband internet networks. Three things to watch for Thursday: There is not much happening today as investors settle in for the festive period, however some traders may be keeping an eye on Brexit negotiations across the Atlantic, with a last-minute deal expected to emerge sometime today With this in mind, traders may want to keep an eye on the currency markets, with the pound having a strong session rising 0.7% to US$135.9 against the dollar Also in focus will be e-commerce firm Alibaba after it was hit with an antitrust investigation by Chinese regulators