The Dow Jones has topped 22,000 points for the first time in opening trading today, bolstered by a 6% gain in Apple, the latest blue-chip company to report strong earnings.

About three minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 22,011.48, up 0.2% and on track for its sixth-straight record close.

The broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 2,477.89, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.4% to 6,390.34.

In January, the Dow finished above 20,000 points for the first time on Wall Street after breaching the milestone at the open.

Shares were then extending a stocks rally following US President Donald Trump's election, which sparked hopes of pro-growth policies.