Indices closed out mixed on Tuesday. The Dow climbed to a five-year high level on better-than-expected earnings data from such companies as Pfizer and Valero Energy. Trading on the S&P 500 ended with slight gains while the Nasdaq closed fractionally in the red zone. Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, AT&T and Merck led the Dow’s ascent. Meanwhile, Apple stepped up after announcing the upcoming addition of a higher-capacity, fourth-generation iPad to its tablet lineup. On another note, consumer confidence waned this month. The Conference Board’s index fell to 58.6 in January. Down from an upwardly revised 66.7 in December, economists were expecting a January reading of 64. Looking ahead, the Federal Reserve will issue comments from its two-day FOMC meeting on Wednesday.
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