U.S. stocks climb as voters go to the polls to choose the next president, and as investors look forward to a resolution of the drawn-out race for the White House.

The rally defied a string of weaker-than expected results from U.S. companies and was attributed in part to expectations that a victor in the presidential race would be known late Tuesday or early Wednesday, despite some fears that have nagged markets recently that the outcome could remain up in the air for days, reported Reuters.

Democratic President Barack Obama is favored by a small margin in national polls against Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 133.08 points, or 1.02 percent, at 13,245.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was up 11.09 points, or 0.79 percent, at 1,428.35. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was up 12.27 points, or 0.41 percent, at 3,011.93.