NEW YORK (AP) — It's a quiet end to a wild month for financial markets.

Stock indexes edged higher Wednesday, giving the Dow Jones industrial average its fourth day of gains. It is now positive for the year.

A surge in factory orders indicated to investors that the manufacturing industry is still healthy. Factory orders rose 2.4 percent in July, the largest increase since March.

At the closing bell, the Dow is up 54 points, or 0.5 percent, at 11,614. The S&P 500 is up 6, or 0.5 percent, at 1,219. The Nasdaq composite is up 3, or 0.1 percent, at 2,579.

About two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was light at 4.6 billion shares.