What Happened in the Stock Market Today

Major benchmarks rose Wednesday after the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy expanded 2.1% in the third quarter, exceeding previous estimates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) closed at new records, with biotech stocks up strongly again and the consumer discretionary sector making a nice gain.

Data source: Yahoo! Finance.

As for individual stocks, a positive earnings report from HP (NYSE: HPQ) didn't inspire investors focused on a takeover bid from Xerox, and Deere (NYSE: DE) warned about weak spending by U.S. farmers.

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Source Fool.com