New Delhi, Sept. 11 -- US stock market ended mixed on Wednesday, with the benchmark indices S&P 500 and Nasdaq posting record high closing levels, buoyed by increased hopes of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

The Nasdaq rose 0.03% to 21,886.06 for its third consecutive record-high close. The S&P 500 gained 0.30% to end the session at 6,532.04, closing with a record high for the second straight day. However, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.48% to end at 45,490.92.

The S&P 500 has rallied about 11%, while the Nasdaq has surged about 13% in 2025.

Here are five key reasons behind the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting record high:

The rally in the US stock market comes amid rising expectations of at least 25 basis points (bps) int...