S&P 500, Nasdaq close at record highs

US stocks rose on Wednesday, as investors shifted focus away from the potential federal government shutdown and grew optimistic about expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue cutting interest rates at its October meeting.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average settled at 46,601 points, after falling 0.20% in the previous session.

The S&P 500 gained 0.58% (39 points) to 6,753, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.12% (255 points) to 23,043— both marking new record closes.

In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 index rose 0.8% to a record 573.79 points, with gains across most sectors and major markets.

Germany’s DAX added 0.85% to 24,597 points, France’s CAC 40 rose 1% to 8,060 points, and the UK’s FTSE 100 advanced 0.7% to a record 9,548 points.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.45% to 47,734 points after touching 48,181 earlier in the session. Meanwhile, the broader Topix index rose 0.25% to 3,235 points, closing at a record high for the third consecutive session.

Oil prices gained, with December Brent crude futures up 1.22% (80 cents) to $66.25 a barrel, while November WTI crude rose 1.33% (82 cents) to $62.55 a barrel.

Gold futures for December delivery leapt 1.65% (about $66.1) to $4,070.50 per ounce — marking the 44th record close for the most active contract this year.