US stock benchmarks close at record highs

NEW YORK (AP) - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at a record high, beating the mark it set in January.

The S&P 500, a benchmark for many index funds, also beat the all-time high it set last month.

Big technology companies led the charge on Wall Street Thursday as Facebook and Microsoft posted big gains.

Banks were also higher. Utilities and other safe-play stocks lagged as investors shoveled money into riskier assets.

The Dow climbed 251 points, or 1 percent, to 26,656.

The S&P 500 rose 22 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,930. The Nasdaq composite climbed 78 points, or 1 percent, to 8,028.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.07 percent.