Stocks edge up to more new records

U.S. stock indexes notched tiny gains Wednesday as retailers jumped after a strong hiring forecast from Target and energy firms rose along with oil prices.

Energy companies rose after the U.S. government said oil and gasoline stockpiles shrank last week. Those gains were almost canceled out as technology and healthcare companies, which have led the market higher this year, slipped.

With stocks at record highs, investors hunted for bargains. Retailers and energy and telecommunications companies have all struggled this year, and they rose Wednesday.

One reason stocks may have held steady: The Federal Reserve will meet next week, and along with the usual questions about interest rates and the Fed’s balance sheet, investors are wondering about the central bank’s leadership. Janet L. Yellen’s four-year term as Fed chairwoman will end in February, and it’s not clear if President Trump will reappoint her or replace her.

After Target’s announcement on holiday-season hiring, Best Buy rose 3.2% to $58.60. Gap advanced 2.2% to $28.22. GameStop went up 2.5% to $20.02, and Amazon.com rose 1.7% to $999.60.

Hard drive maker Western Digital slumped 3.4% to $85.74 after its partner Toshiba said it will sell its computer memory business to a consortium led by Bain Capital Private Equity. Western Digital wants to buy that business and has sued to stop Toshiba from selling it to anyone else.

Equifax slid 14.6% to $98.99, an 18-month low, in heavy trading. The credit ratings firm disclosed last week that about 143 million Americans’ personal data was compromised in a cyberattack. It traded above $142 before news of the attack broke.

Medicaid program administrator Centene surged 8% to $98.16 after it said it will expand into New York through a $3.75-billion acquisition of Fidelis Care. Centene has expanded into several states in the last year through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges.

Apple slipped 0.8% to $159.65. Investors appeared worried about the $999 price tag and November launch date of the iPhone X.

U.S. crude rose $1.07, or 2.2%, to $49.30 a barrel. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 89 cents to $55.16 a barrel. Heating oil rose 3 cents to $1.77 a gallon. Wholesale gasoline fell 1 cent to $1.65 a gallon. Natural gas rose 6 cents to $3.06 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Bond prices edged up. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.19% from 2.17%.

Gold fell $4.70 to $1,328 an ounce. Silver fell 2 cents to $17.87 an ounce. Copper fell 6 cents to $2.98 a pound.

The dollar rose to 110.66 yen from 110.11 yen. The euro fell to $1.1873 from $1.1970.