Stocks Rally, Applauding Fed in Advance

Stocks added to gains on Tuesday, pushing the Nasdaq up more than 1 percent, as investors were optimistic about  the outlook for the Federal Reserve’s economic stimulus policies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 138.38  points, or 0.9%, to 15,318.23. The S&P 500 index rose 12.77 points, or 0.78%, to 1,651.81. The Nasdaq Composite  gained 30.05 points, or 0.87%, to 3,482.18.

Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it now has 1 million active advertisers globally who used the platform in the last  28 days, a milestone for the company that is seeking to revive its revenue growth.

Adobe Systems reported a higher-than-expected adjusted quarterly profit as demand rose for the subscription-based  version of its flagship software package. Shares are up in after-market trading.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn on Tuesday laid out a new proposal for Dell Inc (DELL.O), calling on the No. 3 PC  maker to buy back 1.1 billion shares and allowing the activist to become a larger stakeholder.

The U.S. foiled a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange because of the sweeping surveillance programs at the  heart of a debate over national security and personal privacy, officials said Tuesday at a rare open hearing on intelligence led by lawmakers sympathetic to the spying.