Dow powers above 25,000 pts for first time

New York

THE Dow Jones Industrial Average sailed past the 25,000-mark for the first time on Thursday, while other major indexes rose to new highs after a strong private jobs report added to a bullish sentiment from indications of robust growth in major economies.

The ADP National Employment Report showed that US private employers added 250,000 jobs in December, marking the biggest monthly increase since March, and much above the 190,000 job additions forecast by economists polled by Reuters.