US stocks close higher amid economic data

US stocks traded higher as investors digested the latest economic data while monitoring the latest development of US-Mexico border wall funding.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Tuesday increased 256.10 points, or 1.09 per cent, to 23,787.45. The S&P 500 rose 24.72 points, or 0.97 per cent, to 2,574.41, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 73.53 points, or 1.08 per cent, to 6,897.00.

On the data front, US Labor Department said on Tuesday that the number of job openings fell to 6.9 million on the last business day of November.

Over the month, hires edged down to 5.7 million, quits edged down to 3.4 million, and total separations were little changed at 5.5 million.

Within separations, the quits rate and the layoffs and discharges rate were unchanged at 2.3 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, said the department.

Investors were also grappling with the ongoing US federal government shutdown that started over a disagreement on funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a prime-time address Tuesday night and is expected to talk about the border issue.

--IANS

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