Stock market today: S&P 500 hits fresh record with 5,000 in mark in sight

News Snapshot:

US stocks rose on Wednesday as investors digested a fresh inflow of quarterly earnings, with the debate over timing of interest rate cuts still rumbling in the background. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) rose 0.4%, or about 150 points, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) popped more than 0.8%. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was up nearly 1%. The S&P 500 closed at 4,995, a new record-high and is now nearing 5,000 for the first time ever. The market took stock of performance this earnings season, with about two-thirds of S&P 500 company reports now in. Results have on average beaten...