U.S. stocks closed at all-time highs Friday, marking the third-straight record close for the Dow and S&P 500, as investors cheered bullish economic data and continued to ride a wave of trade optimism.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 50 points, or 0.2%, to about 29,348, the S&P 500 index gained roughly 13 points, or 0.4% to close at 3,330 and the Nasdaq Composite index advanced 32 points, or 0.2% to end the session at roughly 9,389.

All three benchmarks set new intraday and closing highs. Market sentiment was boosted by stellar figures on U.S. home construction, with the Commerce Department reporting that home builders broke new ground on new homes at an annual rate of 1.61 million in Decmeber, 17% higher than the month before, and well above consensus expectations.

Meanwhile data out of China showed December GDP growth at the fastest pace since last March. Though some analysts expressed concern about rising stock-market valuations, with the price-to-earnings ratio reaching 18.8, according to data from Refinitiv, others noted that low bond yields justify higher prices.

In company news, Qualcomm Inc. shares gained 4.6% after Citi upgraded the stock to buy from neutral to lead S&P 500 stocks higher.

Source : MarketWatch