New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange ended at record highs on Monday, maintaining its momentum from last week, in a market reassured by the prospect of a gigantic plan to support the US economy.

The flagship index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose 0.76% to 31,385.76 points.

The Nasdaq, with strong technological coloring, gained 0.95% to 13,987.64 points and the extended S&P 500 index appreciated by 0.74% to 3,915.59 points.

The Dow Jones and the S&P 500 posted their sixth straight session on Monday.

Wall Street had already closed at highs on Friday, recording its best week in two months.

In a Sunday night interview on CNN, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus package could return the U.S. economy to full employment as early as 2022 if passed.

These statements have "helped to strengthen the positive provisions" of the market, note analysts Charles Schwab.

Ms Yellen's comments also pushed up yields on 10-year and 30-year Treasuries, which hit their highest in one year overnight Sunday through Monday before falling back a bit.

The prospect of robust economic growth points to rising inflation, which tends to push bond rates up.

Hopes on the Covid-19 vaccination campaign as well as the drop in the number of new infections in the United States also fueled the rise in stock market indices on Monday.

Among the values ​​of the day, Tesla rose 1.31%.

The electric vehicle maker has invested $ 1.5 billion in bitcoin and will start accepting virtual currency as a means of payment for the purchase of its cars.

Data and intelligence analytics group Palantir grew 5.87% after announcing a partnership with IBM (+ 1.49%) to "simplify the way businesses design and deploy applications using artificial intelligence ".

AstraZeneca rose 0.66% despite the suspension by South Africa of the Covid-19 immunization campaign using the vaccine developed by the laboratory, whose effectiveness for the elderly and against the South African variant of the virus is questioned.

Hasbro was down 4.25%.

The American toy manufacturer, however, has reported results exceeding expectations, thanks to good sales of iconic products such as Monopoly or Magic cards during the pandemic.

© 2021 AFP