NEW YORK (AP) — Strong earnings reports from blue chip companies are lifting stocks across the market.
Apple Inc. rose nearly 3 percent after its first-quarter earnings beat analyst estimates. The Travelers Companies and UnitedHealth also rose after beating expectations.
All 10 company groups that make up the benchmark S&P 500 index finished higher. The Dow Jones industrial average hit another high for the year.
At the market close, the Dow is up 52 points, or 0.4 percent, to 12,506. The S&P index is up 7, or 0.5 percent, to 1,337. The Nasdaq composite is up 18, or 0.6 percent, to 2,820.
Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume came to 3.7 billion shares.
