U.S. stocks closed higher on Tuesday with the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard and Poor's 500 reaching their highest levels since July. The dollar fell 0.66 percent against the euro, the pound, and the yen. Light sweet crude oil for February delivery increased 93 cents to $102.24 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures rose $23.40 to settle at $1,631.50 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 69.78, or 0.56 percent, to 12,462.47. Bank of America surged almost 6 percent, making it the best performer in the Dow. The broader Standard and Poor's 500 increased 11.38, or 0.89 percent, to 1,292.08. The Nasdaq rose 25.94, or 0.97 percent, to 2,702.50.
