Dow touches 23,000 for 1st time, closes at record

(CNBC) — The Dow Jones industrial average rose on Tuesday, and broke above 23,000 for the first time on an intraday basis.

The 30-stock index reached the milestone just 76 days after first topping 22,000. If the Dow closes above 23,000 on Wednesday, it would mark the fourth-fastest 1,000-point increase in the index's long history on a closing basis, according to Howard Silverblatt, senior Index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices.

"Those big, round numbers are getting easier to reach on the Dow on a percentage basis," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities. "That's great because every time we get a milestone like that, it seems like Mainstream America pays more attention to financial markets."

Boeing and Caterpillar were the biggest points contributors on the Dow since Aug. 2, when the index first broke above 22,000. They added 142 points and 121 points, respectively. The two stocks have had a stellar year, rising 65.9 percent and 41.2 percent, respectively.

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