An increase in existing home sales for October and confidence the fiscal cliff will be effectively addressed before Jan. 1 pleased investors, as stocks rallied to their best gain in months. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained +1.65 percent, +207.65 points, ending the day at 12,795.96. The Nasdaq advanced +2.21 percent, 62.94 points to close at 2,916.07, while the S&P moved up +1.99 percent, +27.01 points to close at 1,386.89. The Yahoo! Finance Manufactured Housing Composite moved up +1.93 percent to close at 1171.6. All but one housing stock we track closed up or even. Patrick Industries gained the most of stocks we track, +5.97%, +1.03 points, to close at 18.27. Cavco Industries was right behind at +5.80% +2.67 to end the day at 48.74. Skyline Corp. was the sole stock we track that lost in today’s trading, moving down -0.74%, -0.03, to close at 4.00. Affiliated Managers 125.06 +3.21 (+2.63%). Clayton Homes, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, as well as MH home-building, lending and other housing suppliers parent company Berkshire Hathaway 130,240 +895.00 (+0.63%). Champion, Liberty Homes, Deer Valley and Palm Harbor all remained unchanged. Drew Industries 30.50 +0.63 (+2.11%). Equity LifeStyle Properties 64.16 +0.05 (+0.08%). Louisiana Pacific Industries 16.55 +0.71 (+4.48%). Nobility Homes remained unchanged at 5.30. Sun Communities 38.73 +0.31 (+0.84%). Third Avenue Value Fund (Nov. 16) 47.11 +0.27 (+0.58%). United Forest Products, Inc. 34.90 +1.16 (+3.44%). UMH 10.04 +0.38 (+3.93%).
