US stock indexes edge higher in afternoon trading; Oil rises
Major U.S. stock indexes veered higher in afternoon trading Tuesday, nudging the Dow Jones industrial average closer to the 20,000-point mark.
Energy stocks also rose as the price of crude oil moved higher.
THE QUOTE: "Markets are moving toward 20,000 and bond yields are up; there's a little bit of buoyancy in oil prices," said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank.
Shares in Fitbit climbed 6.7 percent after the fitness tracker company's app became the second-most downloaded in the iTunes store.
Biogen rose 1.5 percent on news that the Federal Drug Administration approved a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disorder.
Endologix plunged 19.8 percent after the drugmaker said that the FDA has ordered it to cease shipping a device used to treat abdominal aortic aneurysms because of manufacturing problems.
The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index climbed to 113.7 in December, up from 109.4 in November and the highest since it reached 114 in August 2001.
The latest reading is another sign consumers are confident in the aftermath of a divisive election campaign.
An index of U.S. home prices increased in October, as buyers bidding for scarce properties drove home prices higher.
The broader Case-Shiller national home price index was up 5.6 percent in October and has fully recovered from the financial crisis.