Terrific Tuesday

Today, stocks reached another round of new highs for 2009, as strong readings on home prices and consumer confidence lifted the market while a decline in oil prices weighed on energy stocks. The day opened sharply higher on a series of economic reports, with market participants also watching the nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term. The market was in retreat after a deep slide in oil prices damped the energy sector, as I noted before. Setting off the gains is the news that home prices rose in the second quarter for the first time in three years with a second-straight monthly increase in June. We have seen a fantastic day in the markets! DJIA +30.01 S&P 500 +2.43 NASDAQ +6.25