Stocks: Ready for one last record close?

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

U.S. stock futures were higher ahead of the opening bell. The Dow Jones industrial average is on track to overtake the all-time high it set Monday for what could be the 52nd record close of the year.

Over the course of December, the main U.S. stock market indexes have risen by 2% to 3%. This caps off a record-setting year that saw the Nasdaq surge nearly 40% to hit a 13-year high, while the Dow and S&P 500 both hit record highs.

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Shares for Hertz (HTZ, Fortune 500) jumped in premarket trading after the car rental company announced measures to limit the amount of shares held by individual investors, to prevent any one investor or group from gaining control of the company.

There are a few economic data releases that could influence market sentiment in the day ahead.

The latest edition of the Case-Shiller 20-city home price index will be released at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday. At 10 a.m., the Conference Board will release its monthly consumer confidence index.

Related: Stocks: 2013 is one for the record books

European markets were inching ahead in midday trading. The exchanges in London and Paris are set for an early close, while the stock exchange in Frankfurt was closed.

Asian markets ended with mixed results and markets in Tokyo were closed. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index rounded out 2013 with its biggest annual rise in more than 40 years.