The Dow Jones index closed above 15,000 for the first time as strong German factory data pushed share markets in the United States and Europe higher.
The Dow gained 87 points to close at 15,056 on Tuesday. And the SP500 has risen for its third consecutive session, extending its rise for the year to more than 13%.
The DAX in Frankfurt also hit a fresh record, gaining 70 points to 8,182.
Orders for industrial goods in Germany grew 2.2% in March compared with the previous month. February's level was revised down 0.1 percentage points, but the BBC reports it still showed a rise of 2.2%.
The Dow Jones Index closed up 87 points, or 0.6 percent, to 15,056
The Nasdaq Composite closed up 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 3,396
Earlier, the Nikkei-225 index in Japan rose above 14,000 for the first time since mid-2008.
The FTSE 100 in London was up 0.6% and the CAC-40 in Paris rose 0.4%.
The Australian 200 Index closed on Tuesday down 12 points, or 0.2%, at 5,144. The NZX 50 closed up 25 points, or 0.6%, at a record high of 4,622.
At 8.30am on Wednesday, the New Zealand dollar was trading at 84.64 US cents, 83.07 Australian cents, 54.64 pence, 83.74 yen and 0.6469 euro. The Trade Weighted Index was at 78.27.
Brent crude oil was trading at $US104.15 per barrel and gold was trading at $US1449.33 per ounce.
