By Lisa Pauline Mattackal and Ankika Biswas
(Reuters) -The S&P 500 briefly touched the psychologically significant 6,000 mark for the first time on Friday, building on a sharp rally after Donald Trump won a second term as U.S. president.
All three major indexes surged to record highs on Nov. 6 following the election results as analysts expect corporations to benefit from Trump's plans to cut taxes and reduce regulations.
The S&P 500 was last up 0.43% at 5,998.90.
"The market is reacting to a lower interest-rate environment and the fact that we're through earning season and that we had a presidential election that wasn't contested and it went better than I think most people expected," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth
"In reality, (the 6,000 level) doesn't mean all that much, it just is confirmation of a good environment and it gives investors a reason to be positive."
The benchmark index has rallied more than 25% this year, steadily gaining since the end of the previous bear market in October 2022.
The sharp gains in 2024 were largely powered by a steep rise in rate-sensitive megacap growth stocks on hopes of lower borrowing costs and optimism around a soft landing for the U.S. economy.
The Federal Reserve cut rates for the first time in four years in September, followed by a 25 basis point cut in November. Traders are pricing in one more reduction this year, as per CME FedWatch.
Information technology stocks fueled the rise on the S&P 500, led by companies such as AI leader Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA).
The index took just about nine months to add 1,000 points after hitting the 5,000 mark in early February. In contrast, it took nearly three years for the S&P 500 to climb from 4,000 in April 2021 to 5,000.
The equity rally, however, has stretched valuations, with the S&P 500 trading at 22.3 times forward earnings, the highest in two years, compared with a long-term average of 16.
Most big brokerages expect the benchmark index to end the year below the 6,000 mark, though Evercore ISI sees it closing at that level.