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* Indexes rise: Dow 0.90 pct, S&P 1.04 pct, Nasdaq 1.59 pct
* Amazon, retailers jump on strong holiday sales report
* Govt shutdown to last until border wall demand met -Trump (Changes comment, adds details, updates prices)
By Medha Singh
Dec 26 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were attempting a modestrebound on Wednesday, boosted by technology shares and anAmazon-led jump in retailers, following four sessions of steeplosses that pushed the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials near bearmarket territory.
After a strong start, the S&P and Dow swung between gainsand losses. At its session low, the S&P hit a fresh 20-month lowand came within two points of entering bear market territory,measured by a drop of more than 20 percent from a closing high.
The gains were led by technology stocks .SPLRCT , whichrose 1.49 percent. Their 9.2 percent slump in the past foursessions was the steepest among the 11 major S&P sectors, whilethe S&P 500 tumbled 7.7 percent.
Amazon.com IncAMZN.O jumped 4.02 percent after reportinga "record-breaking" season. The stock was giving the biggestboost to the S&P and Nasdaq and led the consumer discretionaryindex .SPLRCD up 1.49 percent.
But investors anxieties were far from gone. President DonaldTrump renewed his attack on the Federal Reserve on Christmas,blaming it for the market slump.
Trump also said the U.S. government shutdown, now in itsfifth day, would last until his demand for funds to build a wallon the U.S.-Mexico border is met. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1YU063
A little over 2,100 stocks on the New York Stock Exchangeand the Nasdaq hit 52-week lows. That compares with at least2,600 stocks breaching new lows in the past three sessions.
"The market doesn't look so healthy. The concerns aregovernment shutdown, the economy, the President - what time ishe going to tweet out about Federal Reserve," said LarryBenedict, founder of the Opportunistic Trader in Boca Raton,Florida.
"We're seeing the same thing recently and it's not reallygood. It opens up every day and it's met by selling and it endsnearer the low or on the low than the high. For the market tomake a bottom, you need a bit of capitulation or panic bottom."
The S&P.SPX was up 24.41 points, or 1.04 percent, at2,375.51, at 11:37 a.m. ET, a day after the Christmas holiday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI was up 196.31points, or 0.90 percent, at 21,988.51 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC was up 98.42 points, or 1.59 percent, at 6,291.34.
Eight of the 11 S&P sectors were higher, with the defensiveutilities .SPLRCU real estate .SPLRCR and consumer staples .SPLRCS flat to lower.
Energy stocks .SPNY rose 1.8 percent as crude oil pricesrebounded.
Retailers .SPXRT jumped 3.14 percent, led by Amazon, aftera Mastercard report showed U.S. holiday sales were the strongestin six years. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1YV2EZ
The heavy-weight FAANG group - Facebook IncFB.O , Amazon,Apple IncAAPL.O , Netflix IncNFLX.O and Alphabet IncGOOGL.O , rose between 1 percent and 4 percent.
The S&P ended Monday 19.8 percent below its all-time closinghigh, with roughly three-fourths of its stocks already in a bearmarket.
The Dow finished Monday 18.9 percent lower than its closinghigh. The Nasdaq is already in bear market, along with the DowJones Transport Average .DJT and small-cap Russell 2000 index .RUT .
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.70-to-1 ratioon the NYSE and a 1.89-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P index recorded no new 52-week highs and 194 newlows, while the Nasdaq recorded five new highs and 455 new lows. (Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by AnilD'Silva) ((Medha.Singh@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1646 223 8780,outside U.S. +91 80 6749 1130; Reuters Messaging:medha.singh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
