Stocks claw to record highs as durable equipment orders boom Stocks climbed to record highs Wednesday as investors sifted through positive news on the U.S. economy and a number of corporate earnings reports. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 53 points, or 0.18%, in the opening minutes of trading while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite were higher by 0.11% and 0.48%, respectively, after finishing Tuesday's session in record territory. More on this