Dow closes above 26,000 on strong earnings reports

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday with the Dow closing above 26,000 for the first time, following the release of stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings reports.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 322.79 points, or 1.25 percent, to 26,115.65. The S&P 500 increased 26.14 points, or 0.94 percent, to 2,802.56. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 74.59 points, or 1.03 percent, to 7,298.28.

Earnings season is off to a strong start thus far. According to financial research company FactSet, of the S&P 500 companies that had reported as of Friday, 69 percent have surpassed earnings-per-share estimates while 85 percent have beaten expectations on the top line.

Bank of America Wednesday reported adjusted earnings per share of 0.47 U.S. dollar for the fourth quarter this year, beating market expectations of 0.44 dollar.

Citigroup on Tuesday reported adjusted earnings per share of 1.28 dollars for the fourth quarter of 2017, beating market expectations 1.19 dollars.

Meanwhile, tech stocks got a boost from Apple, which erased losses after announcing plans to contribute to the U.S. economy. The company said it will make a 350 billion dollar contribution to the U.S. economy over the next five years. It promised to create 20,000 new jobs and open a new campus.Apple' s stock closed 1.7 percent higher.

Investors also looked at the newly-released Federal Reserve survey about fundamentals for the U.S. economy.

U.S. economy continued modest to moderate growth pace in late November through the start of 2018, with tight labor market but modest wage growth, according to the survey known as the Beige Book.

"The outlook for 2018 remains optimistic for a majority of contacts across the country," the report said, noting most manufacturers reported modest growth in overall business conditions.

Wednesday's report comes before the Fed's next policy meeting on Jan. 30-31. Analysts said the central bank would leave its benchmark interest rates unchanged at this meeting as U.S. inflation remains subdued. Enditem