Investors opened their wallets Wednesday following an upbeat report from home builders and word that Greece is nearing a deal with its private creditors that would bring some much-needed stability to the region.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 97 points to 12,578.95. The Nasdaq stormed up 41.63 points to finish at 2,769.71 while the S&P hurdled the 1,300-point threshold, closing up 14 points to 1308.04.
On the economic front, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index climbed to hit its highest level in more than four years and industrial output last month checked in at its strongest level in more than a year.
Here are some more details from Wednesday’s trading session:
Dow Jones Industrial Average:
- Up two consecutive trading days and five of the last seven.
- Biggest points and percentage gain since January 3, 2012.
- Highest close since July 25, 2011.
- An intraday high of 12582.28 occurred at 15:26:45 today, representing an increase of 100.21 points, or 0.80%.
- An intraday low of 12453.20 occurred at 09:34:20 today, representing a decrease of 28.87 points, or 0.23%.
- Twenty-seven of the 30 component stocks rose, three fell.
- Today's top five contributors to The Dow's movement and their point contribution: JPM (12.34), CAT (10.22), HD (8.63), IBM (8.10), MCD (7.64).
- Today's bottom five laggards: BA (-1.36), MSFT (-0.23), VZ (-0.08), PFE (0.15), MRK (0.30).
- Down 1585.58 points, or 11.19% from its record close of 14164.53 on October 9, 2007.
- Up 6.37% from 52 weeks ago.
- Up 92.13% from its 12-year closing low of 6547.05 on March 9, 2009.
- Down 1.81% from its 52-week closing high of 12810.54 on April 29, 2011.
- Up 18.05% from its 52-week closing low of 10655.30 on October 3, 2011.
- Month-to-date: up 2.96%.
- Year-to-date: up 2.96%.
Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index:
- Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index, 13579.55 (prelim)*, up 161.43 points, or 1.20%, or approximately $189 billion in market capitalization.
- Up two consecutive trading days and six of the last seven sessions.
- Biggest points and percentage gain since January 3, 2012.
- Highest close since July 28, 2011.
- Down 2165.84 points, or 13.76% (approximately $3.4 trillion in market cap), from its record close of 15745.39 on October 9, 2007.
- Up 99.70% (approximately $7.8 trillion in market cap), from the 12-½ year closing low of 6800.08 on March 9, 2009.
- Up 1.55% over the past 52 weeks.
- Down 5.09% from its 52-week closing high of 14308.37 on April 29, 2011.
- Up 20.18% from its 52-week closing low of 11299.07 on October 3, 2011.
- Month-to-date: up 4.30%.
- Year-to-date: up 4.30%, or approximately $650 billion in market cap.
Data courtesy of Dow Jones Indexes.
