Nasdaq Composite Comes Within 13 Points Of All-Time Closing High; Dow Jones Industrial Average Rallies Nearly 100 Points On Visa Inc (V)

U.S. stocks closed sharply higher Wednesday, as the Nasdaq composite came within 13 points of its all-time closing high of 5,048.62, last seen during the dotcom bubble in 2000. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly added 100 points in the last hour of trading as gains in three blue-chip components, Visa Inc., McDonald's Corporation and Coca-Cola Co., led the index higher.