US stocks close mixed in short session before July 4 holiday

Major stock exchanges in the US closed mixed Wednesday in a short session before the July 4 holiday.

The S&P 500 added 28 points, or 0.51%, to finish the day with a record-high of 5,537.

The Nasdaq, meanwhile, increased 159 points, or 0.88%, to close at an all-time high at 18,188.

Both indexes finished with record highs for the second consecutive trading day.

The Dow Jones industrial average, on the other hand, lost almost 24 points, or 0.06%, to end at 39,308.

The New York Stock Exchange will be closed Thursday in observance of Independence Day.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, rose 0.5% to 12.09. The 10-year US Treasury yield shed 1.8% to 4.356%.

The dollar index fell 0.31% to 105.40, while the euro increased 0.34% to $1.0781 against the greenback.

Precious metals were in positive territory, with gold increasing 1.1% to $2,355 per ounce and silver adding 3.3% to $30.50.

Oil prices were up around 1.1%, with global benchmark Brent crude at $87.16 and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $83.71.