NEW YORK — The stock market moved closer to closing out another strong quarter with a modest advance Tuesday.
The Dow Jones industrial average added 12 points for its fourth straight gain, following a rise in technology stocks.
With one day left in the January-March quarter, the Dow is up 4.6 percent for the period. The gain is sizable but still below the jump of 7.4 percent it made in the final three months of 2009.
The mood in the market was upbeat Tuesday after a report that consumer confidence grew more than expected in March. A separate report showed home prices inched higher for the eighth consecutive month.
Analysts expect trading to be erratic today because of the end of the quarter. Money managers often engage in what’s known as window dressing, or trades intended to boost returns on reports sent to shareholders. Many investors refrain from big moves.
Tuesday’s volume was light as many traders took the day off for Passover or ahead of Easter.
A steady climb in stocks over the past two months could give investors reasons to collect some profits. The Dow has risen in 19 of the past 23 days and is at its highest level since September 2008.
“A bout of profit-taking would be normal and expected after the rise we had,” said Mitch Schlesinger, managing director of FBB Capital Partners in Bethesda, Md.
The day’s economic reports provided new evidence that the economy is improving, albeit slowly.
The Conference Board said its consumer-confidence index rose to 52.5 in March from 46.4 last month. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters had forecast it would rise to 50. A reading above 90 means the economy is on solid footing.
“We’re starting to see consumers come back in an adequate manner,” said Larry Rosenthal, president of Financial Planning Services in Manassas, Va. “Not strong, but adequate.”
The Dow rose 11.56, or 0.1 percent, to 10,907.42. The Dow was up as much as 44 points in morning trading.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 0.05, or less than 0.1 percent, to 1,173.27, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 6.33, or 0.3 percent, to 2,410.69.
