Dow, S&P 500 mark latest record highs; Relief over better news from Japan and Germany

U.S. stock indexes are closing at record highs as investors were encouraged by a positive outlook from homebuilders and better news from Japan and Germany.

Health care stocks had some of the biggest gains Tuesday. The energy sector lagged the rest of the market as the price of oil resumed its slide.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,051.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 40 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,687. The Nasdaq composite gained 31 points, or 0.7 percent, to 4,702.

The Dow and S&P 500 are at record highs.

Nokia rose 3 percent after the company said it would introduce a tablet computer that runs the Android operating system.

The price of oil fell $1.03 to $74.61 a barrel.