Stocks edge up following record day for the Dow

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average is pushing further into record territory, a day after surging past its previous all-time high.

The Dow closed up 42 points at 14,296 Wednesday. The day before, it surged 126 points to 14,253, clearing the previous record by 90 points. That record was set in October 2007, a year before the peak of the financial crisis.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up one point at 1,541. The Nasdaq composite slipped two points to close at 3,222.

An increase in private company hiring helped bring more buyers to the market. Payroll processor ADP said companies added 198,000 employees to their workforces last month, more than expected.

Rising stocks outnumbered falling ones on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was average, 3.6 billion shares.