Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&p 500 | featured news

A big gain in the job market is lifting the stock market to new milestones. The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 15,000 for the first time early Friday, and the Standard and Poor's 500 index, a broader market measure, broke through 1,600 for the first time.

New York's Dow Jones share index sets a new all-time high, as does the broader based S&P 500 index. The rallies mean the stock markets are returning to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis.

The Dow and S&P 500 gained to finish at five-year highs in choppy trading Tuesday, ahead of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address later this evening.

Stocks accelerated their post-election sell off across the board Wednesday, triggered by worries over the looming "fiscal cliff" and re-emerging fears over Europe's economy. The Dow fell below 13,000, while the S&P 500 traded under 1,400 for the first time since early September.

Stocks are pulling back sharply on Wall Street as investors get their first chance to react to a slowdown in hiring in the United States in March. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 152 points to 12,908 shortly before noon Monday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was off 18 at 1,380, and the Nasdaq composite lost 36 points to 3,044.

Top investors stumble, but a strong fourth quarter pushes blue chips into the black. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 ends the year almost exactly where it started.

McGraw-Hill is in advanced talks with CME Group to combine stock-market icons such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 into a joint venture.

Stocks are edging higher following a four-week losing streak. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 23 points, or 0.2 percent, to 10,844 in midday trading Monday. It had been up as many as 203 points. The Dow fell 4 percent last week as worries deepened that the U.S. could slip into a recession. The S&P 500 rose less than a point to 1,124. The Nasdaq was up less than a point at 2,342.