U.S. stocks inched higher yesterday to close at new record highs, but Wall Street's strong beginning of February lost momentum this week. The market climbed higher to record several records this month as investors remained hopeful for a smooth economic reopening as well as fiscal stimulus from the U.S. government. The Dow industrials have gained nearly 5 percent in February, while the Standard & Poor's 500 has added 5.5 percent and Nasdaq has surged over 7 percent. The U.S. dollar held steady versus a basket of other currencies but posted its biggest weekly loss in eight weeks. Gold fell as the dollar steadied, with futures declining 0.2 percent to $1,823.20 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Platinum posted its biggest weekly gain in 11 months on expectations for a revival in auto-sector demand. Oil surged, supported by hopes for U.S. stimulus spending, but gains were limited by a weaker demand outlook from OPEC and the International Energy Agency (IEA). West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed $1.35, or 2.3 percent, to $59.53, a 13-month high. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 27.70, or 0.1 percent, to 31,458.40. Eighteen of the index's 30 components climbed. Intel surged 2 percent, leading gainers, while banks J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs advanced 1.4 and 1.3 percent, respectively. Walt Disney erased earlier gains and lost 1.6 percent, leading decliners, after the entertainment giant reported strong growth in streaming subscribers and its quarterly results easily beat estimates. The broader S&P 500 index rose 18.46, or 0.5 percent, to 3,934.84. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 69.70, or 0.5 percent, to 14,095.47. Amazon gained 0.5 percent, Google-parent Alphabet climbed 0.3 percent, and Apple added 0.2 percent. Facebook was flat, and Netflix declined 0.2 percent.