On Wednesday, the Dow outpaced Wall Street peers in lean trading, boosted by strong gains in drugmaker Merck, while investors awaited crucial economic data and commentary from the central bank's policymakers with the long holiday weekend approaching.
Merck advanced 3.7 percent after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its therapy for adults suffering from a rare lung condition.
At current levels, the blue-chip Dow is around 1 percent shy of the 40,000-point mark, which it has never breached.
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