· The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 28.5 points, or 0.12 percent, to 23,377.24, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 2.43 points, or 0.09 percent, to2,575.26 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 28.71 points, or 0.43 percent, to 6,727.67.
A jump in shares of consumer companies Mondelez and Kellogg after their quarterly reports on Tuesday, along with further gains for tech stocks, helped Wall Street end October on a positive note.
Investors are also awaiting an announcement on the next Federal Reserve chair, which could come this week. President Donald Trump is likely to pick Fed Governor Jerome Powell, who is seen as more dovish on interest rates and thus relatively stock market friendly, sources have told Reuters.
The Fed started its two-day meeting in Washington on Tuesday, although the central bank is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged in its statement on Wednesday.
Market-watchers are also tracking developments of the tax-cut plan being developed by Trump and fellow Republicans.
· Stocks in Asia rallied on Wednesday as investors digested regional earnings reports. Markets also awaited the release of China's Caixin manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index after official numbers came in below expectations on Tuesday.
· Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped 0.9 percent in early trade as investors digested earnings releases. Oil stocks posted gains of more than 1 percent as oil prices edged up. Automakers also rose while tech stocks were mixed: Mitsubishi Motor was up 1.1 percent and Inpex rose 1.2 percent.
· Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi rose 0.83 percent on strength in the tech sector. Samsung Electronics jumped 2.94 percent and SK Hynix gained 2.8 percent.
Reference: Reuters, CNBC
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