Dow opens above 20,000 for second straight day

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 17.6 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 20,086.11

The Dow Jones Industrial Average continued with its record run on Thursday, after breaching the 20,000 milestone a day earlier.

The S&P and Nasdaq also hit record levels immediately after open, before easing off their highs.

Earnings are expected to show growth of 6.8 per cent in the fourth quarter, their biggest increase in two years.

Of the 104 S&P 500 companies that have reported results so far, nearly 70 per cent have topped expectations, according to Thomson Reuters.

"Today is about earnings and part of the Dow reaching the 20,000 milestone is because of strong earnings," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at