US STOCKS-Wall St edges higher on growing vaccine bets, Boeing gains

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* Pfizer gains on improved final vaccine trial data
* Lowe's slides after forecast disappoints
* Target, TJX rise as results beat
* Indexes up: Dow 0.3%, S&P and Nasdaq up 0.1%

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By Shivani Kumaresan and Medha Singh
Nov 18 (Reuters) - The Dow and the S&P 500 inched higher on
Wednesday as Boeing rose after it won U.S. approval to resume
flights of its 737 MAX jet, while growing optimism that a
working vaccine was within reach also lifted the mood.
The planemaker BA.N advanced 1% as it geared up to resume
deliveries of the best-selling jet again after a 20-month
grounding following two fatal crashes.
The news also lifted the S&P 1500 airlines index .SPCOMAIR
3.5%, with American Airlines AAL.O rising 4.3% and Southwest
Airlines LUV.N adding 3% as the carriers laid out plans to fly
the aircraft again.
Earlier in the day, Pfizer Inc PFE.N said it would apply
for emergency U.S. authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine within
days and disclosed final results from a late-stage trial that
showed it was 95% effective. The drugmaker's shares rose 1.7%.
The announcement comes after Moderna Inc MRNA.O on Monday
released preliminary data for its COVID-19 vaccine, showing
similar effectiveness.
"The biggest positive news is Pfizer is not only going to
get approval for the vaccine but the vaccine coming at 95%
effectiveness which is terrific," said Christopher Grisanti,
chief equity strategist, MAI Capital Management, New York.
Meanwhile, the number of reported global daily deaths from
the coronavirus stood at its highest ever on Tuesday, as the
global epicenter the United States entered winter. At 11:54 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI
rose 79.53 points, or 0.27%, to 29,862.88, the S&P 500 .SPX
gained 5.49 points, or 0.15%, to 3,615.02 and the Nasdaq
Composite .IXIC gained 12.90 points, or 0.11%, to 11,912.24.
Target Corp TGT.N rose 4.4% after the big-box retailer
blew past expectations for quarterly profit and sales, as its
quick delivery services boosted online shopping. Discount store operator TJX Companies Inc TJX.N rose about
4% after topping estimates for quarterly results. earnings announcements coming in better than expected
from the retail space and the positive news on Boeing, it should
drive interest in cyclicals," said Robert Pavlik, senior
portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth, New York.
S&P sectors sensitive to economic growth, such as financials
.SPSY , industrials .SPLRCI and energy .SPNY provided some
of the biggest boosts to the S&P 500.
Lowe's Cos Inc LOW.N tumbled 6.4% as the home improvement
chain forecast holiday-quarter earnings largely below analysts'
estimates.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners on the NYSE by a
2.2-to-1 ratio and by a 1.6-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
The S&P 500 posted 26 new 52-week highs and no new low,
while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 190 new highs and nine new
lows.