Investors responded positively after the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, was upbeat about the growth of the U. S. economy in 2014, sending the Dow and the S&P to new record highs, and the Nasdaq to a fresh 13-year high. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 73.47 points, +0.45 percent, to close at 16,294.61. The Nasdaq posted the largest gain of the three, +1.08 percent, +44.16 points, to finish at 4148.90, while the S&P advanced +9.67 points, +0.53 percent, to end the day at 1,827.90. The Yahoo! Finance Manufactured Housing Composite rose 1.08 percent to close at 777.7. Housing stocks we track in today’s trading closed mixed or even, as Louisiana Pacific Industries moved up the most of tracked stocks, gaining +2.78 percent, +0.50 points, to close at 18.47. Nobility Homes dropped the most of tracked stocks, -3.29 percent, -0.28, to close at 8.22. Affiliated Managers Group 213.89 +3.03 (+1.44%). Cavco Industries 70.63 +0.25 (+0.36%). Clayton Homes, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, as well as MH home-building, lending and other housing suppliers parent company Berkshire Hathaway 175,898 +298.00 (+0.17%). Deer Valley remained unchanged at 0.65. Drew Industries 50.73 +0.36 (+0.72%). Equity LifeStyle Properties 35.79 -0.01 (-0.03%). Liberty Homes remained unchanged at 0.68. Patrick Industries 29.06 -0.10 (-0.34%). Skyline Corp. 4.96 -0.14 (-2.75%). Sun Communities 42.39 -0.13 (-0.31%). Third Avenue Value Fund (Dec. 20) 56.33 +0.26 (+0.46%). UMH Properties 9.30 +0.06 (+0.65%). Universal Forest Products, Inc.52.40 +0.94 (+1.83%).
