Dow Jones Hits 26,000 Milestone as Earnings Optimism Feeds Rally

(Bloomberg) -- The Dow Jones Industrial Average plowed past 26,000 as optimism over corporate earnings turbocharged the equity bull market.

Gains in companies from Boeing Co. to Caterpillar Inc. lifted the index for American blue chips past the round-number milestone just 12 calendar days since it topped 25,000. The run between 1,000-point milestones was the fastest in the measure’s history.

Optimism over corporate earnings fueled the bullish sentiment as the reporting season started with JPMorgan Chase & Co. topping expectations and forecasting further gains thanks to cuts to the corporate tax rate. Per-share earnings are expected to rise 12.5 percent in the fourth quarter, while sales are expected to advance 7.2 percent, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

The Dow gained 0.8 percent to 26,012.20 at the open in New York. The S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent to 2,801.35 in its first trip past that milestone. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.7 percent to a record. Boeing shares have surged more than 13 percent since the Dow took out 25,000 on Jan 4. Caterpillar is up 7 percent in that time.

To contact the reporter on this story: Elena Popina in New York at epopina@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Arie Shapira at ashapira3@bloomberg.net, Jeremy Herron, Randall Jensen

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