  We introduce a new relativistic energy density functional constrained by the
ground state properties of atomic nuclei along with the isoscalar giant
monopole resonance energy and dipole polarizability in $^{208}$Pb. A unified
framework of the relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model and random phase
approximation based on the relativistic density-dependent point coupling
interaction is established in order to determine the DD-PCX parameterization by
$\chi^2$ minimization. This procedure is supplemented with the co-variance
analysis in order to estimate statistical uncertainties in the model parameters
and observables. The effective interaction DD-PCX accurately describes the
nuclear ground state properties including the neutron-skin thickness, as well
as the isoscalar giant monopole resonance excitation energies and dipole
polarizabilities. The implementation of the experimental data on nuclear
excitations allows constraining the symmetry energy close to the saturation
density, and the incompressibility of nuclear matter by using genuine
observables on finite nuclei in the $\chi^2$ minimization protocol, rather than
using pseudo-observables on the nuclear matter, or by relying on the ground
state properties only, as it has been customary in the previous studies.
