U.S. stocks rose in light pre-holiday trading Tuesday, with the Dow industrials nearing 20,000, as investors ignored geopolitical tensions. There were no U.S. economic reports released Tuesday. The U.S. dollar rose 0.1 percent against a basket of currencies. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 11 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $52.23 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures for February delivery fell to $1,133.60 an ounce as the dollar rose and investors sold the precious metal on expectations of stronger global economic growth. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 91.56, or 0.5 percent, to 19,974.62. Earlier in the session, it hit a new intraday high within 13 points the 20,000 milestone. Over the past six weeks, the index has risen 8 percent and posted 17 record closing highs. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.23, or 0.4 percent, to 2,270.76. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 26.50, or 0.5 percent, to 5,483.94.
