The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 87.31 points, to end at 15,056.20, finishing above 15,000 for the first time, led by Caterpillar and JPMorgan. The index first broke above the milestone on Friday. The blue-chip index also ended higher for the 17th consecutive Tuesday. This is the first time in history that the index has posted such a streak.

The S&P 500 climbed 8.46 points, to close at 1,625.96. The index entered bull market territory, climbing 20 percent since its lows in mid-November. The Nasdaq squeezed out a gain of 3.66 points, to end at 3,396.63.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, ended below 13.

So far this year, the Dow and the S&P 500 have both surged more than 14 percent, while the Nasdaq has soared more than 12 percent.

Most key S&P sectors finished higher, led by telecoms and industrials, while techs closed lower.