NEW YORK (Reuters) - Major U.S. stock indexes edged up to record closing highs on Wednesday with sector moves in the S&P 500 showing preference towards so-called defensive stocks, while Wall Street reacted mutedly to the minutes of the most recent Federal Reserve policy meeting.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42.21 points, or 0.18 percent, to 22,872.89, the S&P 500 gained 4.6 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,555.24 and the Nasdaq Composite added 16.30 points, or 0.25 percent, to 6,603.55.
Stocks ended near session highs after Politico reported that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was pushing president Donald Trump to name Jerome Powell, seen as a safe pick for financial markets, as the next Federal Reserve chairman.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Nick Zieminski)