Wall Street advances for third straight session, with Dow Jones nearing 20,000

U.S. stock indices rose on Wednesday for the third straight session, with Dow Jones about to breach 20,000 for the first time ever, buoyed by energy stocks as oil prices climbed.
 
As of 14:45 GMT, Dow Jones rose 4.46 points, or 0.02% to 19,949.50, while Standard and Poor's 500 climbed 2.26 points, or 0.10  points to 2,271.14. NASDAQ Composite shed 4.82 points, or 0.10% to 5,482.62.
 
Wall Street rose for the second straight day yesterday following upbeat U.S. consumer confidence data in December.
 
The energy sector led Wall Street higher, as oil prices rose for the fourth straight session, with crude prices hitting two-week highs amid expectations of a U.S. inventory drawdown.
 
S&P 500 surged over 11% this year, heading for a yearly profit, as U.S. economic outlook brightens, while Donald Trump is expected to raise growth by expanding government spending and lowering taxes.