Even with the recent government shutdown, continuing uncertainty in Washington, and less than stellar employment news, the stock market keeps climbing.
Stocks rose in early trading Wednesday, sending major indexes back to record highs, as traders anticipated that the Federal Reserve will keep up its stimulus program for some time.
A four-day streak of record closes ended for the Standard & Poor's 500 index Wednesday after Caterpillar reported weak earnings and falling oil prices hurt energy stocks.
The prospect of more economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve pushed the Standard & Poor's 500 index to a fourth consecutive record close Tuesday.