Stock indexes closed higher on the first trading day of 2018, led by gains in big technology companies. The gains were enough to set all-time highs for the Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Nasdaq composite. The Dow Jones industrial average increased 104 points, or 0.4%, to 24,824, per the AP. The Nasdaq climbed 103 points, or 1.5%, to 7,006, and the S&P 500 index rose 22 points, or 0.8%, to 2,695. Retailers also led the way higher Tuesday. Nordstrom rose 3.7%, while Facebook gained 2.8% and Apple rose 1.8%. Natural gas prices climbed as cold weather continued to grip large parts of the US.
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