Record highs for U.S. stocks; Dow crosses 21,000-point mark

Investors bet big on U.S. stocks Wednesday, giving the market its biggest single-day gain in nearly four months and pushing the major indexes to record highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose above 21,000 points for the first time in what was the biggest gain for the blue-chip index so far this year.

Banks were the biggest gainers amid heightened expectations that an improving economy will lead to higher interest rates.

Energy stocks also notched big gains. Utilities and real estate stocks lagged.

The dollar strengthened against the yen and euro and other major currencies.

Bond prices fell, as did the price of crude oil and gold.

Optimism over corporate tax cuts, deregulation and other business-friendly policy proposals reiterated by President Donald Trump during a speech before Congress helped fuel the rally.

Growing speculation the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates again soon also helped put traders in a buying mood.

The Dow jumped 303.31 points, or 1.5 percent, to 21,115.55. At one point, the 30-company average was up more than 356 points.

The Dow hadn't been up more than 300 points in one day since November.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 32.32 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,395.96.

That's the biggest single-day gain for the index, the benchmark favored by professional investors, since early November.

The Nasdaq composite index added 78.59 points, or 1.4 percent, to 5,904.03. Small-company stocks continued to outpace the rest of the market, a bullish signal on the economy.

The Russell 2000 index rose 26.95 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,413.64.

All four indexes closed at new all-time highs. Each had set new highs last month.