Financial companies led stocks higher Tuesday on the one-year anniversary of the market's hitting a 12-year low. The gain in bank stocks came as traders reacted to rumors that the government might prohibit the trades known as short sales in the stocks of companies it owns. Such a move would be aimed at preventing sharp drops in stocks including Citigroup Inc. and American International Group Inc.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 11.86, or 0.1 percent, to 10,564.38.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.95, or 0.2 percent, to 1,140.45.
The Nasdaq composite index rose 8.47, or 0.4 percent, to 2,340.68.
For the week:
The Dow is down 1.82, or less than 0.1 percent.
The S&P is up 1.75, or 0.2 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 14.33, or 0.6 percent.
For the year to date:
The Dow is up 136.33, or 1.3 percent.
The S&P is up 25.35, or 2.3 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 71.53, or 3.2 percent.
For the past 12 months:
The Dow is up 4,017.33, or 61.4 percent.
The S&P is up 463.92, or 68.6 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 1,072.04, or 84.5 percent.
