YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]: Continued support from buyers into the close resulted in strong finishes for the major equity averages. Specifically, the S&P 500 booked its best close since 2008; the Dow settle above the 13,000 for the first time since 2008, and; the Nasdaq notched another closing high that reaches back more than a decade.

Solid gains by the major bourses abroad helped promote buying interest ahead of the US open, but the tone was undermined by news that durable goods orders fell in January by 4.0% when a 1.4% decline had been broadly expected to follow an upwardly revised 3.2% increase in the prior month. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders declined during January by 3.2%, which contrasts sharply with the 0.2% increase that many economists had expected to follow a downwardly revised increase of 2.1% in the prior month.

Buying interest was revived by the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, which spiked in February to 70.8 from 61.5 in the prior month. Many had expected only a modest improvement to 62.5.

Stocks lost their direction for a time, but the support for the broad market at the neutral line brought buyers back into the fold. Some afternoon profit taking forced the S&P 500 and Dow to test the neutral line again, but continued support there gave way to a late rebound that helped stocks reclaim most of their gains.

Tech proved to be a primary source of leadership. The sector, which is the largest by market weight, scored a 0.9% gain with help from semiconductor and equipment stocks. Their advance also helped the Nasdaq outperform its counterparts.

Apple (AAPL 535.41, +9.65) was a primary driver of the Nasdaq's advance today. The stock's move to a new record high has resulted in a market cap of almost a half trillion dollars, which is greater than any other company.

Airline stocks ascended to give the NYSE Arcaa Airline Index a gain greater than 2%. Their climb was helped by a 1.8% drop in oil prices, which settled pit trade at $106.55 per barrel.

Elsewhere in the commodity complex, gold prices gained 0.8% to close pit trade at $1788.30 per ounce. Along the way the yellow metal cleared $1790 per ounce to set a three-month high. Silver prices surged 4.5% to $37.17 per ounce, which makes for a new multi-month closing high.

In the backdrop, the dollar traded with weakness all day. By the closing bell it trailed a collection of competing currencies by about 0.5%.

Energy prices succumbed to renewed selling pressure this session. Their slide settled with oil down 1.8% at $106.55 per barrel and natural gas down 3.1% at $2.52 per MMBtu.

In contrast, precious metals performed well in that gold prices gained 0.8% to close pit trade at $1788.30 per ounce. Along the way it cleared $1790 per ounce to set a three-month high. More impressive still, silver prices surged 4.5% to $37.17 per ounce, which makes for a new multi-month closing high.

Gains by precious metals weren't enough to prop up the CRB Index, however. Instead, the Index logged a 0.6% loss.

Advancing Sectors: Tech +0.9%, Consumer Discretionary +0.7%, Health Care +0.5%, Consumer Staples +0.3%, Telecom +0.3%, Materials +0.2%, Financials +0.2%
Declining Sectors: Industrials -0.1%, Energy -0.2%, Utilities -0.4%DJ30 +23.61 NASDAQ +20.60 NQ100 +1.0% R2K -0.4% SP400 -0.2% SP500 +4.59 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 1207/1.79 bln/1324 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 1544/755 mln/1446