04:02 PM EST, 12/23/2024 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes ended higher Monday as markets assessed the latest economic data.

* US consumer confidence dropped by 8.1 points to 104.7 this month, the Conference Board said. The expectations index slumped 12.6 points to 81.1, just above the 80 threshold that usually indicates a recession ahead, according to the report.

* "The recent rebound in consumer confidence was not sustained in December," said Dana Peterson, the board's chief economist. "While weaker consumer assessments of the present situation and expectations contributed to the decline, the expectations component saw the sharpest drop."

* Sales of new single-family houses in the US rose 5.9% sequentially to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 664,000 in November, according to government data. A Bloomberg consensus indicated 670,000.

US durable goods orders dropped more than projected in November led by transportation equipment, government data showed.

* February West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed down $0.03 to settle at $69.43 per barrel, while February Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $0.11 to $72.83.

* Hyatt Hotels ( H ) is in exclusive negotiations to potentially acquire Playa Hotels & Resorts ( PLYA ) , among other options being considered for the operator of resorts in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Playa shares jumped 29%, while Hyatt fell 1.4%.

* MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) acquired 5,262 bitcoins for $561 million in cash from Dec. 16-22. The company's shares fell 8.8%.