REUTERS: Wall Street's main indexes rose on Wednesday, led by industrials and technology-related stocks, although investors remained cautious after a heated presidential debate pointed to a tough election race ahead.
In a chaotic and bad-tempered first debate, Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden battled fiercely over Trump's record on the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare and the economy. Analysts said stock markets could also see quarter-end rebalancing of investor portfolios on Wednesday, as the previous session was marked by market participants booking profits after a strong start to the week.Despite the expected weakness in September, the S&P 500 was on course for its best two-quarter winning streak since 2009 and the Nasdaq since 2000.
Sentiment was also supported by data showing U.S. private employers stepped up hiring in September as well as the Chicago PMI reading jumping to 62.4, the highest level since December 2018.Moderna Inc rose 5.4per cent after researchers said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate produced virus-neutralizing antibodies in older adults at levels similar to those seen in younger adults in an early safety study.