Stocks are closing modestly higher on Wall Street, keeping major indexes at or near record highs.

The S&P 500 added 0.1% Wednesday, keeping it just below the all-time high it reached on Monday, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record.

Small-company stocks again outpaced their larger rivals by a large margin, as they have been doing all month.

That's a sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about the economy.

Investors were also encouraged to see that Britain had authorized a coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca which is easier to transport than others.

Treasury yields fell slightly.