NEW YORK: The Dow flirted with its first-ever close above 35,000 points on Monday (Jul 12) as US stocks turned in another record-filled session ahead of a heavy schedule of earnings releases and economic reports. The blue-chip index finished at 34,996.18, a gain of 0.4 per cent. The index was just above 35,000 points at the 8pm GMT closing bell, but settled under the benchmark after the close. The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.4 per cent to 4,384.63, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.2 per cent to 14,733.24. All three major indices finished at records, reflecting how optimism over the economic recovery has offset worries about inflation and the Delta variant of COVID-19. Investors are geared up for a heady earnings season, beginning on Tuesday with reports from JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs. The period is expected to be the second strongest quarter in the last 25 years, according to CFRA Research's Sam Stovall....