Stocks Build on Records as Oil Prices Inch Higher

Stocks are rising on Wall Street, adding to their records set earlier this week. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% on Wednesday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 381 points and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.4%. One of the key drivers behind these gains was a strong quarterly report from The Walt Disney Co., which saw its stock rise after beating analysts' forecasts thanks to 'Toy Story 5's $1 billion box office haul.

The price of Brent crude oil also rose, increasing by 1% to just over $80 per barrel. European and Asian markets were higher overall, with benchmarks in Tokyo and Seoul jumping more than 3%. This surge was largely driven by gains in AI-related stocks, including chipmakers Kioxia and SK Hynix.