Stocks on Wall Street pushed further into record territory today, and the Standard & Poor's 500 index's immaculate start to the year extended to a sixth day.

Apple made its biggest jump in six months on Wednesday, helping send the Dow Jones industrial average above 22,000 points for the first time.

A near-$30 billion (€22.8bn) bid for Shire could emerge as the standout deal in the European pharmaceutical sector this year, a highlight for bankers in a market otherwise likely to be dominated by bolt-on acquisitions.