Nasdaq jumps over 1%, closes above 21,000 points

US stocks closed higher on Wednesday, supported by a strong performance in the technology sector led by Apple, as investors continued to monitor the ongoing corporate earnings season.

At the close of Wednesday’s session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 0.18%, or 81 points, to 44,193 points.

The broader S&P 500 gained 0.73%, or 45 points, to 6,345 points, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.21%, or 252 points, to 21,169 points.

Apple shares closed up 5.10% at $213.28, after the White House confirmed reports that the iPhone maker plans to invest $100 billion in its US-based production operations.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index was flat at 541 points, as performance across major sectors was mixed.

Germany’s DAX rose 0.35% to 23,924 points, France’s CAC 40 added 0.20% to 7,635 points, and the UK’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.25% to 9,164 points.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 increased by 0.60% to 40,794 points, while the broader Topix index gained 1% to 2,966 points.

Brent crude futures for October delivery fell by 1.11%, or 75 cents, to $66.89 per barrel, after briefly exceeding $68 during the session.

Meanwhile, US WTI crude (Nymex) for September delivery dropped by 1.24%, or 81 cents, to settle at $64.35 per barrel.

As for gold, December futures for the yellow metal were unchanged at $3,433.4 per ounce at settlement.