U.S. stocks up, S&P 500 reaches record closing high

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 index clinched its longest-ever bull market run on Friday, closing above its previous January high, as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell affirmed the U.S. central bank's current pace of rate hikes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> rose 133.37 points, or 0.52 percent, to 25,790.35, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 17.72 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,874.7 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 67.52 points, or 0.86 percent, to 7,945.98.

(Reporting by Stephen Culp; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)