Markets soar again:

Retailers, technology companies help market extend record run.

Retailers and technology companies powered stocks broadly higher Thursday on Wall Street, extending the market’s record-setting run.

Retailers and technology companies powered stocks broadly higher on Wall Street Thursday, extending the market’s record-setting run.

The Nasdaq composite climbed above 9,000 points for the first time as Apple led technology stocks higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 also climbed to new highs. The benchmark index is on course for its best year since 2013.

The latest gains came as investors welcomed a report showing that a last-minute surge in online shopping helped lift holiday sales. The data gave a boost to shares in Amazon.com and big department store chains such as Macy’s and Nordstrom.

“That’s just a confirmation that the consumer is incredibly strong and resilient and helping to power the economy to better numbers,” said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment director for U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

The S&P 500 rose 16.53 points, or 0.5%, to 3,239.91. The index, which had previously set a record high on Monday, has finished with a weekly gain in 10 out of the past 11 weeks.

The Dow gained 105.94 points, or 0.4%, to 28,621.39. The Nasdaq composite climbed 69.51 points, or 0.8%, to 9,022.39. The index, which is heavily weighted with tech stocks, is on an 11-day winning streak.

Smaller company stocks lagged the broader market, leaving the Russell 2000 index essentially flat. The index slipped 0.34 points, or less than 0.1%, to 1,677.67.

Bond prices were little changed. The 10-year Treasury yield held steady at 1.90%. The yield is a benchmark for the interest rates that lenders charge on mortgages and other consumer loans. Trading volume was lighter than usual Thursday. The latest gains added to the market’s strong upward trajectory for 2019. The major indexes are on pace to close out the year on a strong note after moving mostly higher since early October. Fears about a possible recession have faded since the summer after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times, and the central bank appears set to keep them low for a long time.

A “Phase 1” trade deal announced earlier this month between the United States and China helped solidify investors’ optimism. The result has been a year-end market rally that has the 11 sectors in the S&P 500 on pace for solid-to-stellar gains.