NEW YORK -As Wall Street closed the books Friday on a surprisingly strong 2023, the focus is shifting to the US presidential election and other risks confronting equities in 2024. Major indices faltered in Friday's final session of the year, but the declines were minimal compared with the winnings amassed over the last 12 months. "This has been a great stock market year," said David Kotok, chief investment officer of Cumberland Advisors. Propelled by so-called "Magnificent Seven" stocks, the Nasdaq led the major US indices with a gain of 43 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tacked on 14 percent while the broad-based S&P 500 jumped 24 percent. READ: Wall Street ...Keep on reading: Markets eye uncertainty ahead after blowout 2023 for US stocks