Dow hits another record close

U.S. stocks gained Tuesday after declining in the previous session -- with the Dow Jones industrial average hitting a new record close.

The Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite each ended up 0.6%.

Its 103-point climb put the Dow at its new all-time closing high of 17,879.55. That's about 51 points above the prior record close, set Friday.

The blue-chip Dow has now hit a closing high 32 times in 2014.

A barrel of oil as traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.8% in the wake of Monday's rebound, which in turn followed a huge 10% plunge Friday.

Falling oil prices this year have sent investors running out of energy stocks. But Tuesday, energy stocks were a gusher of gains for speculators, with shares from Exxon (XOM) to EOG Resources (EOG) jumping.

On Monday, the Nasdaq took a 1%-plus pounding as the price of oil pulled out of a free fall. The Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 also ended down.

The nation's top CEOs trimmed their forecasts for sales and capital spending but boosted their hiring plans over the next six months, according to the Business Roundtable's fourth-quarter survey.

Newly built homes and schools boosted construction spending in October to the highest level since May. The Commerce Department says construction spending rose 1.1% in October, after having slipped 0.1% in September.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.4% to close at a seven-year high Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal said it appeared to be largely due to speculation that the Bank of Japan might start buying up exchange-traded funds. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.2%.

European stocks ended mixed, with Britain's FTSE -- up 1.3% -- a big mover.

The Hang Seng plunged 2.6% Monday as police used pepper spray and clubs against protesters demanding democratic reforms in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

Contributing: Matt Krantz, Paul Davidson, Kim Hjelmgaard, The Associated Press.