U.S. equities closed at all-time highs on Wednesday after a series of executive orders from President Donald Trump increased bullish sentiment on Wall Street, while financials outperformed.

The Dow Jones industrial average broke above 20,000 for the first time, rising about 150 points as Boeing, Goldman Sachs and IBM contributed the most gains.



"People are seeing that the administration is carrying through with some of the things they promised," said John Stadtler, head of U.S. Financial Services Industry Practice at PwC. "It looks like long-term capital gains are here to stay."

Dow since US election Source: FactSet



The S&P 500 advanced 0.8 percent to a new all-time high, with financials rising more than 1.5 percent.



"Clearly, this has become a buy-high-sell-higher market with the Dow breaking above 20,000," said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "Out of the gate, President Trump is moving along with his agenda."

"More importantly, earnings have been on the cusp of increasing, and that's going to be key to hold these valuations," Sandven said.

The Nasdaq composite gained 0.99 percent, also notching a record high.



"Traders have been waiting for more details on infrastructure spending and now they have it in a very clear format," said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets. "There is nothing bigger than this. A break of 20,000 for the Dow stimulates fresh capital which has been waiting for this moment to join this party."</s>Dow Jones industrial average closes above 20,000 points for the first time.</s>Dow Jones Closes Above 20,000 Points For First Time Ever

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wednesday closed above 20,000 for the first time ever. The stock market has been on an tear since the election of Donald Trump.</s>As the Dow Jones industrial average reaches its latest milestone, see how well you know the oldest and best-known barometer of the U.S. stock market.

1. When was the Dow Jones industrial average first published?

2. What's the lowest recorded closing level for the Dow?

3. Has the Dow always had 30 stocks in it?

5. Which company has been in the average from the very beginning?

6. What year did the musical comedy "How Now, Dow Jones" open on Broadway and what was the plot line?

2. The lowest point on record for the Dow is 28.48 on August 8, 1896.

3. No. The first version of the average contained 12 industrial stocks, including U.S. Rubber, American Sugar and American Cotton Oil.

4. The average was created by Dow Jones & Co., which was founded by Charles Dow, Edward Jones and Charles Bergstresser. Dow Jones & Co. also founded The Wall Street Journal.

6. The Tony Award-nominated musical played 220 performances starting in 1967. The story follows Kate, who is frustrated because her fiance will only marry her once the Dow crosses 1,000 points. (That didn't happen until 1972.)</s>WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which opened on Wednesday above 20,000 for the first time in history, closed at 20,067.

Boeing and Caterpillar contributed most gains, according to media reports.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s Counselor Kellyanne Conway said in a Twitter message that the bounce was the result of "the Trump effect."

The US president reacted to the news calling it "great!"</s>On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished above 20,000 for the first time. The barrier had been a psychological line of resistance since the post-election rally began. And it took just 42 days to make the climb of 1,000 points. It was the second fastest 1,000 points in history. According to The Wall Street Journal, the climb was second only to the Dow’s 1,000-point 24-day climb in the 1999’s dot-com boom.

Both the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 rose 0.8%, and the Nasdaq gained 1%. All three major indices closed at record highs buoyed by expectations of pro-business policies under President Donald Trump.

Boeing Co (NYSE: ) led the Dow 30, climbing 4.2% after it beat fourth-quarter earnings expectations. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: ) rose 2% and JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: ) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: ) gained 1.6% and 1.5% respectively.

“Risk-On” strategies drove bonds lower, sending the 10-year Treasury’s yield to 2.5% from 2.4% on Tuesday. Gold fell 1.2% to $1,195.90 per ounce. Crude Oil (WTI) fell 0.8% to $52.75 per barrel.

At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 156 points to a new closing high at 20,069, the S&P 500 gained 18, closing at 2,298, the Nasdaq rose to 5,656 for a gain of 55 points and the Russell 2000 closed at 1,382, gaining 13 points. The NYSE’s primary exchange traded 880 million shares with total volume of 3.8 billion shares. The Nasdaq crossed 1.9 billion shares. On the Big Board, advancers outpaced decliners by 1.8-to-1, and on the Nasdaq, advancers led by 2.4-to-1. On the NYSE Blocks fell to 6,263 from 6,771 on Tuesday.

There are many new projections for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Most aim at a further advance to the 20,220 area. The S&P 500, however, is not so visible. Assuming that the 500’s recent breakout was pushed by a “continuation gap,” my minimum target for it is 2,322 (close), or 2,370 (intraday).

Conclusion: With a trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the S&P 500 at over 24X and a forward 12-month P/E at over 17X, the consideration of new positions should be closely examined. Only those undervalued stocks, like our Trade of the Day, should be considered for trades. Recent run-ups that collect public attraction should be avoided since whipsaws from current levels could occur at any time.

Another warning: The recent AAII bullish percent has risen to 44.7%, Neutral is at just 23% “the bottom of its typical range.”

To see a list of the companies reporting earnings today, click here.

For a list of this week’s economic reports due out, click here.



Tell us what you think about this article! Drop us an email at editor@investorplace.com, chat with us on Twitter at @InvestorPlace or comment on the post on Facebook. Read more about our comments policy here.</s>The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed 20,000 points soon after it opened Wednesday, the first time it's crossed the milestone, CNBC reports.

Dow futures rose around 100 points overnight, after the index closed at 19,913 — rising after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders — pushing it above 20,000 soon after it opened, an important psychological milestone.</s>When the Dow Jones Industrial Average was created in 1896, it had about a dozen industrial stocks.

Apple's addition to the current list of 30 American conglomerates, in March 2015, shows just how far the index has come.

It's no longer focused only on "industrial" stocks. Goldman Sachs' stock accounted for the chunk of the index's postelection gain to the 20,000 milestone it achieved on Wednesday January 25.

Apple replaced AT&T, which was popularly known as American Telephone & Telegraph when it joined the Dow in October 1916.

This index has seen a lot of turnover in its history — and only one of the original 12 members continues to hold a spot in it.</s>NEW YORK (AP) — Dow Jones industrial average eclipses 20,000 for the first time; cheers from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.</s>NEW YORK (AP) — Dow Jones industrial average eclipses 20,000 for the first time; cheers from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 20,000 for the first time ever.