Dow hits 25,000 points for 1st time on US hiring data

State of New York: The Dow shot above 25,000 points for the first time Thursday as strong US private-sector hiring data extended a stocks rally in the wake of enactment of US tax reform.

About 25 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 25,051.47, up 0.5 percent and adding to gains after hitting the landmark within minutes of the opening bell.

The broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent to 2,724.19, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.4 percent to 7,084.71. Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also added to Wednesday`s records.

US stocks have opened 2018 in full-throttle bull market mode, bidding stocks up to a succession of records following the December passage of a massive tax cut signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Adding to the optimism about tax reform has been better-than expected economic data. On Thursday, payroll firm ADP reported that private firms added 250,000 jobs, well above the 190,000 that had been expected by analysts.

The data come ahead of the more closely scrutinized Department of Labor jobs report Friday.

Major gainers in the blue-chip index included banks JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs and credit card company American Express. All rose almost two percent.

They were offset somewhat by Intel, which slumped 4.5 percent amid questions over a defect in computer chips that could render sensitive data vulnerable to hackers.