<p>The Nasdaq surged to a fresh record on Wednesday, as the major US indices all rose amid diminished anxiety over the US-Iran conflict in the wake of an attack on American troops.</p>.<p>The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 0.7 percent at 9,129.24, eclipsing a January 2 record by almost 40 points.</p>.<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 percent to close at 28,745.09, while the broad-based S&P 500 added 0.5 percent to 3,253.05.</p>.<p>Wall Street opened the session cautiously following a series of missile attacks by Iran on bases hosting US and other foreign troops in neighboring Iraq. The strikes were Iran's first concrete retaliation over the US killing of a top Iranian commander.</p>.<p>Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed there was more to come, but President Donald Trump said Tehran appeared to be "standing down" after the missile attack caused no casualties.</p>.<p>"At least for now, the retaliation is behind us," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities. "The market can move on."</p>.<p>Hogan said investors are focused on an expected signing of a US-China trade accord next week, and upcoming quarterly earnings season.</p>.<p>In economic data, private companies added 202,000 jobs in December, according to payrolls firm ADP. The figures bested analyst expectations and came ahead of Friday's key government jobs report.</p>.<p>Among individual shares, Boeing dropped 1.8 percent, weighing on the Dow, following the fatal crash of a Ukraine International Airlines plane in Iran.</p>.<p>The aircraft involved in the accident was 737-800, a predecessor to the Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded following two earlier crashes.</p>.<p>Analysts said it was too soon to speculate on causes of the crash, but characterized the incident as another unwelcome challenge for the company.</p>.<p>Another Dow member, Walgreens Boots Alliance, sank 5.8 percent after reporting disappointing quarterly results.</p>.<p>Macy's gained 2.4 percent after better-than-expected sales during the critical November-December holiday period.</p>.<p>Grubhub surged 12.6 percent following a report that the food delivery company was considering strategic options, including a possible sale.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq surged to a fresh record on Wednesday, as the major US indices all rose amid diminished anxiety over the US-Iran conflict in the wake of an attack on American troops.</p>.<p>The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index finished up 0.7 percent at 9,129.24, eclipsing a January 2 record by almost 40 points.</p>.<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 percent to close at 28,745.09, while the broad-based S&P 500 added 0.5 percent to 3,253.05.</p>.<p>Wall Street opened the session cautiously following a series of missile attacks by Iran on bases hosting US and other foreign troops in neighboring Iraq. The strikes were Iran's first concrete retaliation over the US killing of a top Iranian commander.</p>.<p>Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed there was more to come, but President Donald Trump said Tehran appeared to be "standing down" after the missile attack caused no casualties.</p>.<p>"At least for now, the retaliation is behind us," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at National Securities. "The market can move on."</p>.<p>Hogan said investors are focused on an expected signing of a US-China trade accord next week, and upcoming quarterly earnings season.</p>.<p>In economic data, private companies added 202,000 jobs in December, according to payrolls firm ADP. The figures bested analyst expectations and came ahead of Friday's key government jobs report.</p>.<p>Among individual shares, Boeing dropped 1.8 percent, weighing on the Dow, following the fatal crash of a Ukraine International Airlines plane in Iran.</p>.<p>The aircraft involved in the accident was 737-800, a predecessor to the Boeing 737 MAX, which has been grounded following two earlier crashes.</p>.<p>Analysts said it was too soon to speculate on causes of the crash, but characterized the incident as another unwelcome challenge for the company.</p>.<p>Another Dow member, Walgreens Boots Alliance, sank 5.8 percent after reporting disappointing quarterly results.</p>.<p>Macy's gained 2.4 percent after better-than-expected sales during the critical November-December holiday period.</p>.<p>Grubhub surged 12.6 percent following a report that the food delivery company was considering strategic options, including a possible sale.</p>