The two biggest sectors in the S&P500 index - finance and technology - led US markets higher on the opening day of August, with the upbeat corporate earnings momentum continuing and overshadowing softer-than-expected July automotive sales data - Dow up +73-points or +0.33% for a fifth consecutive fresh record high (21,963.92) and closing in on 22,000. The broader edged S&P500 +0.24% higher (making a fresh intra-day earlier in the . The NASDAQ rose +0.23%, with Apple up ~4.5% in after hours trading after posting third-quarter numbers after the market close that exceeded Wall Street's expectations for earnings per share (up +17% to US$1.67 versus consensus expectations of US$1.57) and revenue (up +7% to US$45.4B versus consensus US$44.95B). Apple's cash hoard swelled to a record US$261.5B, enough to buy Wal-Mart or AT&T outright based on current market capitalisations. Apple's own market capitalisation moved back above >US$800B.
