Dow Jones Hits Record Highs, DELL Jumps 15%: Stock Market Today

U.S. stocks pushed higher by midday Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average punching to a fresh record high as a powerful AI-led rally in chip and PC names overpowered another shock to consumer sentiment.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 are now on track for an eighth straight weekly gain — the longest winning streak since 2023 — as diplomatic signals on Iran helped cool oil and pulled Treasury yields lower for a third consecutive session.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.4% to 7,477 by 11 a.m. ET, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 324 points, or 0.6%, to a record 50,610, led by Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK),+4.7%; Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT), +3.7% and IBM (NYSE:IBM), +2.8%. The latter is on track for its best week in over two decades.
The Nasdaq 100 added 0.2% to 29,417, dragged by a so