Having failed to close above the 2,000 mark after reaching the milestone in intraday trading on Monday, the S&P 500 closed above it on Tuesday for the first time, reports FTAdviser sister title FastFT.
The most widely tracked US equity index finished up 0.1 per cent at 2000.02, according to its preliminary close.
Markets were lifted earlier by a surge in consumer confidence and healthy revisions to durable goods orders, which sent the index to an intraday record of 2,005.04.
The durability of the equity rally, which began in March 2009, is being questioned given its 10 per cent gain this year, tepid revenue growth, slowing share buybacks and the prospect of the Federal Reserve tightening policy.
Roughly 55 per cent of strategists polled by Bloomberg expect the index to finish the year at or above 2,000, while those at several investment banks see a retreat from current levels.
Energy, health care and financial companies led the modest gains on Tuesday, echoing Monday’s performance.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average also touched a record high on Tuesday, rising as much as 0.5 per cent to 17,153.80.
Volumes were lacklustre for a second day, with the number of S&P 500 stocks trading hands down 28 per cent compared to the 30-day trailing average, according to Bloomberg data.
