Stocks closed sharply higher Tuesday as traders assessed strong consumer confidence data, with financials leading.

Consumer confidence surged this month, hitting 125.6, up from 116.1 in February (https://www.conference-board.org/data/consumerconfidence.cfm), the Consumer Board Consumer Confidence Index showed.
"This is a market that's saying: 'I will think of bad news tomorrow,'" said Kim Forrest, a senior equity analyst at Fort Pitt Capital. "The U.S. economy is 70 percent consumer-based, so these numbers are important." She also said that strong quarterly results from Darden Restaurants are helping lift the market's view on consumers.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/dow-jumps-150-points-on-signs-of-rising-consumer-confidence/ar-BByYetk

https://www.conference-board.org/data/consumerconfidence.cfm