The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged past the 50,000 mark for the first time Friday, wrapping up the session at a record 50,115.67. That’s a gain of 1,206.95 points, or 2.47%. Caterpillar rallied 7.1%, delivering the biggest lift to the blue-chip gauge. “The broadening that we have seen in the market” is showing, according to Chuck Carlson, chief executive at Horizon Investment Services. So far this year, the Dow is up 4.3%, beating both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Because the index is price-weighted, pricier shares like Caterpillar have an outsized impact.
