Encouraging economic news from Europe and the Commerce Department put a charge into stocks Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones Industrial average up 337 points – its largest single-day surge of the month.
The Commerce Department said builders broke ground on 685,000 new homes last month, a 9.3% jump from October. That's the highest level since April 2010. Building permits, a gauge of future construction, increased 5.7%, spurred by a jump in apartment permits.
Also, German business and consumer confidence rose unexpectedly in December, and the Spanish government pulled off a successful debt auction. Both helped to ease worries about Europe's debt crisis.
The Nasdaq and S&P 500 rocketed up 81 points and 36 points, respectively.
Here are some more details from Tuesday’s trading session:
Dow Jones Industrial Average:
· Up 337.32 points, or 2.87%, to 12103.58
· First gain in three trading days.
· Largest one-day points & percentage gain since November 30, 2011.
· Highest closing value since December 09, 2011.
· An intraday high of 12117.13 occurred at 15:48:15 today, representing an increase of 350.87, or 2.98%.
· An intraday low of 11768.83 occurred at 09:30:02 today.
· All 30 component stocks closed up today and have done so 13 times previously in 2011.
· Today's top five contributors to The Dow's movement and their point contribution: CAT (33.91), IBM (32.92), CVX (29.89), UTX (20.06), MMM (18.85).
· Traded in positive territory for 100 percent of the day.
· Down 14.55% from its record close of 14164.53 on October 09, 2007.
· Up 4.95% from 52 weeks ago.
· Down 5.52% from its 52 week high of 12810.54 on April 29, 2011.
· Up 13.59% from its 52 week low of 10655.30 on October 03, 2011.
· Month-to-date: 0.48%.
· Year-to-date: up 4.54%.
Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index:
· Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market, 12860.78 (prelim)*, up 386.79 points, or 3.10%, or approximately $450 billion in market capitalization
· Up three of the past four trading days.
· Largest one-day points & percentage gain since November 30, 2011.
· Highest closing value since December 09, 2011.
· Down 2884.61 points, or 18.32% (approximately $4.2 trillion in market cap), from its record close of 15745.39 on October 09, 2007.
· Up 83.13% (approximately $7.0 trillion in market cap), from the 12-½ year closing low of 6800.08 on March 9, 2009
· Down 1.90% from 52 weeks ago.
· Down 10.12% from its 52 week high of 14308.37 on April 29, 2011.
· Up 13.82% from its 52 week low of 11299.07 on October 03, 2011.
· Month-to-date: down 0.57%.
· Year-to-date: down 2.06%, or approximately $503 billion in market cap.
Data courtesy of Dow Jones Indexes.
