Dow tops 30K for the first time | Small-cap stocks headed for best month ever | Presidential transition under way

Monday could mark the start of a strong seasonal stretch for the stock market with Thanksgiving Day around the corner.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE TUE, NOV 24, 2020 EVENING BRIEF AS OF TUE, NOV 24, 2020 • 04:26 ET DJIA 30046.24 +1.54% +454.97 S&P 500 3635.41 +1.62% +57.82 NASDAQ 12036.79 +1.31% +156.15   Most Active DOW NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 115.17 +1.32 +1.16% INTC 47.01 +0.95 +2.06% MSFT 213.86 +3.75 +1.78% S&P 500 NAME LAST CHG %CHG GE 10.45 +0.38 +3.77% AAL 14.82 +1.26 +9.29% AAPL 115.17 +1.32 +1.16% NASDAQ NAME LAST CHG %CHG AAPL 115.17 +1.32 +1.16% TSLA 555.38 +33.53 +6.43% AMD 85.07 -0.24 -0.28%   EDITOR'S NOTE If there's one word to encapsulate Tuesday's market action, it would be "historic."   There were several milestones during the session, most notably the Dow Jones Industrial Average topping the 30,000 mark for the first time.  Tuesday's gains also put the benchmark up more than 13% for November, on pace for its biggest monthly gain since January 1987. "This is yet another reminder of how far stocks and the economy have come since the depths of March," said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial, about the Dow's milestone. "Although 30,000 isn't much different than 29,999, there is something special about those big milestone numbers."   The Dow wasn't the only major market average making history. The small-cap Russell 2000 index rallied 1.9% and hit a fresh all-time high. That gain put the Russell on pace for its best month ever, up more than 20% in November.   Meanwhile, Tesla reached a record valuation as its market cap topped $500 billion for the first time. Bitcoin is also approaching its all-time high, breaking above $19,000 and nearing its record around $20,000.   Catch The News with Shepard Smith at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC. The nightly newscast provides deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day's most important stories. Fred Imbert | CNBC Markets Reporter @foimbert TOP NEWS  Dow surges more than 400 points, closes above 30,000 for the first time ever The Russell 2000 is on track for its best month ever as vaccine hopes fuel small stock boom Byron Wien says the Dow hit 30,000 because 'we're headed back to normal' and run could last years Bitcoin climbs past $19,000 and closes in on record price Trump brags about Dow 30,000 at surprise news conference, leaves after a minute Tesla hits $500 billion market cap for the first time Coronavirus live updates: With U.S. hospitals overrun, surgeon general urges Americans to 'hold on' U.S. to test run Covid vaccine distribution networks as it awaits FDA clearance in 'just a few weeks' Pennsylvania and Nevada certify Biden wins over Trump Biden transition team receives official Operation Warp Speed briefing, HHS' Azar says, after weeks of delays   TOP VIDEO Jim Cramer: There are two different markets right now   CNBC PRO Mike Santoli's market notes: Dow 30K eye-catching moment, but greed is running high near term   SPECIAL REPORTS Pentagon sends nearly 300,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving dinner to U.S. troops around the world A record 19.4 million homeowners can now save big on a mortgage refinance, as rates hit another new low   Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS