Middle East Progress Boosts Investor Confidence; Dow, S&P 500 Close Higher

(Central News Agency, New York, 4th, Combined Foreign Reports) Market progress on a possible end to the Middle East war boosted investor sentiment, and the S&P 500 closed higher today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, driven by healthcare and financial stocks, set another record high. The Nasdaq, however, closed slightly lower due to selling pressure in chip stocks.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 874.86 points, or 1.73%, to 51,561.93.

The S&P 500 edged up 30.63 points, or 0.41%, to 7,584.31.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 23.01 points, or 0.09%, to 26,830.96.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell 299.46 points, or 2.15%, to 13,617.50.