New York Aug 3 (IANS) The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke the 22 000 milestone for the first time as shares of Apple soared following strong quarterly earnings.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wednesday was up 52.32 points or 0.24 per cent to 22 016.24 Xinhua news agency reported.
The S&P 500 rose 1.22 points or 0.05 per cent to 2 477.57. The Nasdaq Composite Index ticked down 0.29 points or less than 0.01 per cent to 6 362.65.
After Tuesday s closing bell Apple announced quarterly revenue of $45.4 billion and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.67.
Shares of the tech giant rallied 4.73 per cent on Wednesday and drove the Dow above 22 000 for the first time ever.
This earning season has been strong so far and has broadly been supportive of stock market recently.
Some analysts however said the tech sector might continue to face pressure from profit-taking following upbeat earnings.
Meanwhile investors also turned their eyes to a slew of economic data as they tried to find clues on when the Federal Reserve might start the balance sheet reduction.
US private sector employment increased by 178 000 jobs from June to July well below market consensus of 185 000 said the July ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday.
The ADP report is often seen as a preview for the closely-watched US nonfarm payrolls data due out on Friday.
--IANS
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