The Dow Jones industrial average just did something it has never done in its 121-year history.
The 30-stock average is now up more than 5,000 points in a year, marking its biggest annual-points gain ever. This following a 140-point rally Monday which sent it to an all-time high.
The Dow also notched a record close for the 70th time this year, which is another milestone. To put that into perspective, it means that about one of every four trading sessions this year has been a record close for the index.
The Dow, along with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite, has had a banner year, rising 25.5 percent. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up 20.2 percent and 29.9 percent, respectively.
To be sure, most of the big point moves are in recent years for an obvious reason: The Dow is much bigger than it was decades ago. So investors should keep this point move in perspective.
