Dow, S&P end at records, starting July with a bang

01/07/2014 - 21:12

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday, with both the Dow and S&P 500 setting record closing highs on the first trading day in July as manufacturing activity picked up in the United States and Asia, increasing optimism about the global economy's health.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 129.25 points or 0.77 percent, to end unofficially at 16,956.85. The S&P 500 .SPX gained 13.07 points or 0.67 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,973.30. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC jumped 50.47 points or 1.14 percent, to close unofficially at 4,458.65.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Jan Paschal)