U.S. stocks moved higher Tuesday, boosted by reports about increased home building and low inflation. But the real emphasis was on the Federal Reserve, which on Wednesday should reveal more about how long it expects to keep in place its programs meant to support the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 138.38 points, or 0.9 percent, to 15,318.23.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 12.77 points, or 0.8 percent, to 1,651.81.

The Nasdaq composite index rose 30.05 points, or 0.9 percent, to 3,482.18.

For the week:

The Dow is up 248.05 points, or 1.7 percent.

The S&P 500 is up 25.08 points, or 1.5 percent.

The Nasdaq composite is up 58.62 points, or 1.7 percent.

For the year:

The Dow is up 2,214.09 points, or 16.9 percent.

The S&P 500 is up 225.62 points, or 15.8 percent.

The Nasdaq composite is up 462.67 points, or 15.3 percent.