US stocks were higher in aggregate Wednesday morning, continuing the progress seen in prior days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 235.5 points, or 0.5%, to 44,942.05. The Nasdaq Composite touched 19,656.47, up 1% or 106.57 points, and the S&P 500 rose marginally to 6,069.39, or 0.4%.

The elevated opening came after the Nasdaq and S&P 500 registered their closing highs on Tuesday due to a stellar performance by technology stocks. Equities stayed fixed on the private payrolls report for September, and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's speech in the week discussed the domestic landscape of the economy and any changes in monetary policy.

T-bond yields also edged up slightly, indicating that bond investors are gradually turning optimistic. A stable macroeconomic environment and a recent improvement in corporate earnings have also helped uplift broad market sentiment, with technology shares leading the early advance.

More labor market reports may affect today's trading as investors weigh more on the Federal Reserve's inflation and interest rate forecasts. Having become a prime consumer of economic signals, all attention will be directed at Powell's speeches to determine the prospects for policy changes.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.