The Dow Jones Industrial Average is closing in on a kind of day it hasn't had in 19 months.
The blue-chip index was up 1,556 points, or 3%, at 53,342 in Wednesday afternoon trading.
If it holds that gain into the close, it will be the Dow's best session since April 9, 2025. That was the day President Donald Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs for 90 days, and the index jumped 7.9%.
The rally would also beat the 2.8% gain from May 12, 2025, when Washington and Beijing agreed to roll back tariffs.
This time the trigger was Tuesday's midterm elections, which gave Democrats control of both chambers of Congress. Investors are betting that a divided Washington will bring more political certainty, because big policy changes become harder to pass.
At the same time, West Texas Intermediate crude fell 7.5% to $88.84 a barrel.
The State Street SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) rose 2.9%.
