Stocks End 2013 Rally with Record Closes

U.S. stocks rose modestly on Tuesday on a strong consumer confidence reading that kept 2013’s upward bias intact to the end. The Dow Jones  industrial average rose 72.37 points, or 0.44 percent, to end at 16,576.66. The Standard & Poor’s 500 gained 7.29 points, or 0.40 percent, to finish at 1,848.36. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 22.39 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 4,176.59.

The Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence in the U.S. rose to 78.1 in December from 72 in the prior month, the New York-based private research group said. Economists on average had looked for a reading of 76, according to Bloomberg.

More than 2.1 million Americans have signed up for health insurance under the “Obamacare” program, reflecting a late surge in signups at the state and federal level.

Target has run into more holiday shopping trouble. The retailer confirmed on Tuesday that some customers are having problems using their Target gift cards at the cash register.

Gold prices edged lower in quiet trading on Tuesday as investors avoided the metal on the likelihood it will close 2013 with its deepest plunge in over three decades.On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for February delivery traded at  USD1,202.60 a troy ounce, down 0.10%.