U.S. markets close up Tuesday

NEW YORK, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. stock indexes closed up after a sluggish morning Tuesday, in spite of weak housing reports.

Home prices declined in 80 percent of 152 U.S. cities in the third quarter, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. The National Association of Home Builders said U.S. builder confidence has sunk to its lowest level since January 1985, when the index began.

By close, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 151.17 points, or 1.83 percent, to 8,424.75. The Standard and Poor's 500 gained 0.98 percent, up 8.37 points, to 859.12. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.22 points, up 0.08 percent to 1,483.27.

On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,153 stocks advanced and 1,975 declined on a volume of 6.1 billion shares traded.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rose 30/32 to yield 3.533 percent.

The euro fell to $1.2633, compared to $1.265 Monday. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar rose to 97.05 yen, up from Monday's 96.42 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei average lost 194.17 points to 8,328.41, down 2.28 percent.

The FTSE 100 index in London rose 1.85 percent, up 76.39 points to 4,208.55.