US stocks end higher with 7 straight record closes for the Dow

U.S. stocks closed higher Wednesday, with the Dow ending at a record high for the seventh day in a row as better-than-expected earnings boosted optimism on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones industrial average extended gains for nine consecutive days for the first time since 2013, with Microsoft contributing most to the upside.
 
The S&P 500 closed at a new record level, led by technology which had its best day in 16 years.

The Nasdaq composite had its highest close of the year, helped by a 2 percent gain in biotech.