Small-cap stocks edged higher Wednesday in an exceptionally quiet, tight-range pre-holiday session. A mixed bag of economic data failed to spark trading fervor in either direction, while slumping energy and commodity markets acted as a mild drag on the market. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed up 1.85, or 0.4% at 470.49, snapping a 2-day losing streak in an abbreviated session before the Christmas holiday. A fresh batch of economic releases this morning came in predictably awful, but some segments of the data weren’t as gloomy as feared, which allowed bargain hunters the courage to snap up a few beaten down stocks in what turned out to be one of the dullest sessions in months. The price range in the Russell today amounted to less than 8 handles, easily the thinnest motion in what has been a raucous 4-month time frame.

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