Wall St ends up on Bernanke comments, housing

Sales of new homes hit a 4 1-2-year high; Dow ends up 0.84%

US stocks ended higher on Tuesday, rebounding from their worst decline since November, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke defended the Fed's bond-buying stimulus and sales of new homes hit a 4 1-2-year high.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average shot up 115.96 points, or 0.84%, to end unofficially at 13,900.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 9.10 points, or 0.61%, to finish unofficially at 1,496.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 13.40 points, or 0.43%, to close unofficially at 3,129.65.