DOW 14,839.80 Up 21.05(0.14%)

 

 

 

 

 

By: JeeYeon Park

CNBC.com Writer

Stocks reversed their early losses to finish higher on the final day of the month, with all three major averages posting robust gains for April, despite some weak corporate earnings and mixed economic data.

The Dow closed higher for the fifth-straight month and marked the best start of the year through the first four months since 1999. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq is logged their sixth-straight month of gains. The S&P logged the best start of the year since 1998.

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a gain of 21.05 points to close at 14,839.80, ending higher for the 16th straight Tuesday. IBM and Microsoft led the blue-chip gainers, while Pfizer tumbled.

The S&P 500 rose 3.96 points to finish at 1597.57, hitting a new all-time high. The Nasdaq added 21.77 points to end at 3,328.79, closing at a new 12.5-year high.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, ended below 14.

For the month, the Dow rallied 1.79 percent, the S&P 500 jumped 1.81 percent, and the Nasdaq climbed 1.88 percent. Microsoft was the biggest monthly gainer on the Dow, while Hewlett-Packard sagged.

Telecoms and utilities were the best sector performers in April, while energy and industrials lagged.