Stocks soared yesterday, lifting the Dow industrials within striking distance of its first record since August and propelling two other major indexes to new highs.
Markets were bolstered by a government report showing continued strength in the job market, but little sign of inflation.
At one point, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 302 points. It closed with a gain of 247.12 at 11,286.18 in active trading. That left Wall Street's best-known indicator 40 points below the record 11,326.04 reached on August 25.
The Standard and Poor's 500 rose 24.26 to 1,433.30, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 67.85 to 3,520.63.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a three-to-two margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,828 up, 1,269 down and 467 unchanged.
