Another rally on Wall Street powered stock indexes to more records Thursday. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite notched all-time highs, extending the market's gains after a strong start to the year. A batch of solid economic data injected more optimism into markets a day after the signing of an initial trade deal between the U.S. and China. The good economic news follows the signing of the “Phase 1” trade deal between the U.S. and China that puts the nations on a clearer path to ending their 18-month long trade war. The pact eases some sanctions on China, which has agreed to step up its purchases of U.S. farm products and other goods.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2020 14:58 UTC