Stocks Ended Mixed, Dow Reached Record High

U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday, after protesters broke into the Capitol building. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 437.80 points, or 1.44%, to 30,829.40, setting a new closing record. The S&P 500 gained 21.28 points, or 0.57%, to 3,748. The Nasdaq Composite fell 78.17 points, or 0.61%, to 12,741.

Oil futures climbed on Wednesday, with U.S. prices settling above $50 a barrel for the first time since last February, buoyed by a fourth straight decline in U.S. crude inventories, as well as Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut its output by an additional 1 million barrels per day starting next month. February West Texas Intermediate crude rose 70 cents, or 1.4%, to settle at $50.63 a barrel .

The U.S. Capitol was put under lockdown Wednesday afternoon as protesters in support of President Donald Trump flooded the building while lawmakers were in the process of debating President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory. Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, D.C., ordered a citywide curfew from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday amid the unrest.