Dow, S&P 500 Hit Records as Financial Stocks Soar

The U.S. stock market took off at the back half of the day, bolstered by banking and related financial stocks that soared in an apparent deregulatory push by Washington.The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, the Dow jumped 646 points, or 1.3%. The Nasdaq closed down 0.3%. For most of the day, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq marked large losses.The exciting finish can be credited, in part, to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent further pushing the Republican deregulatory agenda. In a letter posted on X, he offered a look into what's ne ...