Dow Cracks 34K for First Time

The strong economic news in the morning didn't waver in the afternoon as the stock market again reached record territory. The Dow closed above 34,000 for the first time, rising 305 points to 34,035; the S&P 500 climbed 45 points to a record 4,170; and the Nasdaq rose 180 points to 14,038. The increases came after rosy reports on retail sales and declining jobless claims. Also helping: More companies reported nice profits in the first quarter than anticipated, reports the AP. “Economic data is going to continue to get better and better and better as the economy opens up,” Tom Mantione of UBS Private Wealth Management tells the Wall Street Journal. (More stock market stories.)