Fresh record highs for both the S&P500 and Nasdaq ahead of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium tonight AEST - Dow up +39-points or +0.11% 35,405.5 and ~0.62% shy of its all time closing high (35,625.40) set on 16 August. The broader S&P500 edged +0.22% higher to 4,496.19, logging 51st record closing high this year and matching the greatest number of closing records to this point in a calendar year since 1995, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Financials (up +1.21%), Energy (+0.72%) and Industrials (+0.60%) leading seven of the eleven primary sectors higher. More defensive sectors underperformed for a third straight session, with Health Care down -0.26%, Real Estate -0.18% and Consumer Staples -0.10%. The Nasdaq +0.15% to 15,041.85, recording its 30th record closing high of 2021. Chipmakers were buoyed a Wall Street Journal report that Western Digital (+7.8%) is in advanced talks to undertake a US$20B merger with Japan’s Kioxia Holdings. Nvidia Corp rose 1.9% following news that the Department of Energy will run its new supercomputer on the company’s computing platform. Micron Technology gained +2.%. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 +0.37%. Elsewhere on the merger and acquisition (M&A) front, ON Semiconductor Corp (down -0.21%) said it agreed to acquire GT Advanced Technologies for US$415M in cash.