Merck Stock Hits New High; Dow Outperforms

Dow Outperforms in Upbeat Market as Merck Surges to New Heights

In Wednesday's trading session, investors showed robust optimism, driving stock markets higher across the board ahead of the long holiday weekend. As trading volume started to wane, the Nasdaq Composite managed a 0.5% increase to settle at 16,399. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 hit a new record by climbing 0.9% to 5,248. However, it was the Dow Jones Industrial Average that stole the spotlight, appreciating by 1.2% to reach 39,760, buoyed by a significant gain in pharmaceutical heavyweight Merck.