S&P 500 edges up, Nasdaq hits record on strong economic data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 edged higher on Tuesday as investors were encouraged by U.S. economic data, and the Nasdaq closed at a record high for the second day in a row with help from the technology and consumer discretionary sectors.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> fell 13.71 points, or 0.06 percent, to 24,799.98, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 1.93 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,748.8 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 31.40 points, or 0.41 percent, to 7,637.86.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Chris Reese)