Dow, S&P Close At Records

U.S. stocks had another banner session on Wednesday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and small-cap Russell 2000 closed at record highs. The Dow gained 297.84 points, or 1.5%, to 19,549.62 with Nike Inc. and Home Depot Inc. leading the blue-chip benchmark higher to its third consecutive record close. The S&P 500 climbed 29.08 points, or 1.3%, to 2,241.32, as real-estate and telecommunications shares led the index higher. The Nasdaq Composite rose 60.76 points, or 1.1%, to 5,393.76, closing just a few points below its all-time high. The Russell 2000, the small-cap index, advanced 12.62 points, or 0.9%, to 1,365.30. Stocks rallied sharply since President-elect Donald Trump's unexpected victory in the Nov. 8 U.S. election, with the main benchmarks recording a series of new record highs. Investors believe that Trump's proposed fiscal policies, including a massive infrastructure spending plan and corporate tax cuts, will stoke economic growth and boost corporate profits.