Dow ends above 19,000 on upbeat data

U.S. stocks finished at record highs Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above the round-number mark of 19,000 for the first time ever, as investors digested the country's strong existing home sales data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 67.18 points, or 0.35 percent, to 19,023.87. The S&P 500 added 4.76 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,202.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 17.49 points, or 0.33 percent, to 5,386.35.

U.S. existing-home sales ascended in October for the second straight month and eclipsed June's cyclical sales peak to become the highest annualized pace in nearly a decade, according to the National Association of Realtors Tuesday.

Total existing-home sales grew 2.0 percent from an upwardly revised 5.49 million in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.60 million in October, beating market consensus of 5.42 million.

"The unexpected surge in October is likely a result of lingering demand from the summer selling season even as limited supply and rising prices has largely kept a lid on home sales growth for the past year," said Sophia Kearney-Lederman, an economic analyst at FTN Financial.

U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, with all three major indices setting new closing records simultaneously for the first time since mid-August, boosted by a strong rebound in oil prices.

Investors also kept a close eye on the Federal Reserve's minutes from its November meeting scheduled for release Wednesday, for more clues on the timing of a next rate hike. Enditem