Stocks pressed higher Friday as upbeat earnings reports from Google Inc. and 3M Co. overshadowed concerns about yet another record for oil prices.
Persistent political tension in Iran pushed crude futures above $73, and analysts warned that prices could climb higher in the coming weeks. However, a barrel of light crude was off 69 cents at $73 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
In morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 58.03, or 0.51 percent, to 11,400.92, a fresh six-year high. The Dow on Thursday had its best close since reaching 11,351.30 on Jan. 20, 2000. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 6.16, or 0.47 percent, at 1,317.62, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 2.11, or 0.09 percent, to 2,364.66, after opening the session lower.
