US stock indexes close at record highs; oil up

Strong gains by energy companies and retailers helped nudge each of the major U.S. stocks indexes to a record high close Thursday, erasing mild losses from the day before.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index and Nasdaq composite had previously hit new highs last Friday. The Nasdaq also notched a record close on Tuesday.

Investors welcomed some better-than-expected quarterly results from Macy’s and Koh...