Nasdaq hits new closing high for second straight day

Stocks ended slightly higher Tuesday -- the Nasdaq notching a new closing high for a second straight day -- as Wall Street gained for a second straight day.

Optimism around a potential Greek debt deal continued to help boost global markets as investors were hopeful a deal will be reached by the end of the week.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 24 points, or 0.1%, to 18,144.07 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 1 point and a fraction, or less than 0.1%, to 2124.20.

The Nasdaq composite index gained 6 points, or 0.1%, to 5161.10 -- topping the closing high set in the previous session -- after earlier rising to a intraday record high of 5163.42.

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Economic news released Tuesday was mixed:

• Durable goods orders plunged 1.8% in May on weaker demand for aircraft. But orders for durable goods excluding transportation actually rose 0.5%.

• New home sales jumped a higher-than-expected 2.2% in May, rising to a their highest level in seven years.

European shares were higher Tuesday, with Germany's DAX index gaining 0.7%, France's CAC 40 rising 1.2% and Britain's FTSE 100 index up 0.1%.

At a meeting Monday, eurozone leaders said an offer by Greece might form a basis to break a four-month deadlock with its international creditors over a debt crisis that could see Greece crash out of the euro-currency bloc.But the two sides failed to reach a deal that might get Athens new loans at a time when its cash reserves are running low.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index surged 1.9% to close at 20,809.42 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index gained 0.9%. The Shanghai Composite rose 2.2%.

Stocks surged Monday as a relief rally around the world helped send the Dow up a little more than 100 points and the Nasdaq to an all-time record high.

Contributing: Associated Press