U.S. Stocks Close At Records; Dow Closes Just Shy Of 20,000

All three of the main U.S. stock benchmarks notched record closes on Wednesday as investors braced for the Federal Reserve's December interest-rate announcement, set for Wednesday at 2 pm. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which finished higher for a seventh straight day, gained 114.50 points, or 0.6%, to 19,910.93, closing within striking distance of the psychologically-important 20,000 level. Tech stocks like Intel Corp. and Apple Inc. were among the best performers on the blue-chip gauge. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index advanced 14.73 points, or 0.7%, to 2,271.69, with tech and energy shares leading the index higher. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 51.29 points, or 1%, to 5,463.83. The Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates for the second time since the financial crisis, with market-based indicators pricing in a nearly 100% chance of a hike.