NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rallied on Tuesday ahead of an expected decision by the Federal Reserve to cut a benchmark interest rate as much as 1 percentage point.The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> climbed 302.28 points, or 2.52 percent, to 12,274.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 38.76 points, or 3.04 percent, to 1,315.36. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> increased 61.97 points, or 2.85 percent, to 2,238.98.The Federal Reserve's policy-setting committee was expected to make its announcement on interest rates around 2:15 p.m..(Editing by James Dalgleish)
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