Dow breaks past 34,000, S&P 500 hits week’s second record high

It was the second time this week the S&P 500 has registered a new best close, and the Dow surpassed its previous closing peak on April 9.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 34,000 for the first time on Thursday as the blue-chip benchmark and S&P 500 posted fresh record highs on a tech stock rally fuelled by falling bond yields and strong March United States retail sales data. The 30-share index closed up 305.10 points or 0.9 percent at 34,035.99. The broader S&P 500 index – a proxy for the health of US retirement and college savings accounts – gained 1.11 percent to close at 4,170.45 while the Nasdaq Composite Index ended the trading day 1.31 percent higher. It was the second time this week the S&P 500 has registered a new best close, and the Dow surpassed its previous closing peak on April 9.