S&P 500 poised to hit record high; Alcoa gains

Alcoa reported a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit, sending the aluminum producer's shares up 4.7 percent premarket. Investors appetite for equities has increased after strong economic data and low returns on government bonds, while easing political tensions in Britain and Japan have reduced some global uncertainties. "What is driving the market today is political stability in both Japan and the UK and a global drive for yield, which central banks are going to support," said John Br