S&P 500 Rises to Record as Investors Weigh Fed Plans

Bloomberg (10/12) -- U.S. stocks rose, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to a fresh record, as investors weighed the timing of any cuts to Federal Reserve monetary support amid budget negotiations in Washington. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2 percent to 1,808.56 at 4 p.m. in New York, surpassing its previous record of 1,807.23 set on Nov. 27. the Dow Jones industrial average edged up 5.52 points, or 0.03 percent, to finish unofficially at 16,025.72. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 3.28 points, or 0.18 percent, to close unofficially at 1,808.37. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 6.23 points, or 0.15 percent, to end unofficially at 4,068.75. The S&P 500 gained 1.1 percent on Dec. 6, halting a five-day slump that erased 1.2 percent from the gauge, as jobs growth in November beat estimates and the unemployment rate fell to a five-year low. The index fell less than 0.1 percent last week, snapping an eight-week rally that was the longest in almost a decade, as improving economic data spurred concern that the Fed will reduce its stimulus sooner than expected.