Nasdaq rises above 3,000 - UPI.com NEW YORK, March 13 (UPI) -- U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday for a fifth day on improved retail data, pushing the Nasdaq composite index to above 3,000 for the first time in more than a decade. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 218 points, to 13,177.68. Retail sales rose 1.1 percent in February compared with January, and 6.5 percent compared with February 2011, on sales of $407.4 billion, the Commerce Department said. The market was also boosted by the Federal Reserve Bank's decision to keep lending rates at historic lows. The DJIA added 217.97 points, or 1.68 percent, to close at 13,177.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 24.86 points or 1.81 percent to 1,395.95. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 56.22 points or 1.88 percent to 3,039.88. On the New York Stock Exchange, 2,501 stocks advanced and 592 declined on a volume of 4.3 billion shares traded. The benchmark 10-year treasury note gained 1/32 to 2.124 percent. The euro fell to $1.30. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 82.88 yen.