The Dow Jones Industrial Average was higher Tuesday as Wall Street looked to find its footing after an uneven start to the month.
The 30-stock index gained a solid 140.06 points to conclude Tuesday at 38,711.04.
The S&P 500 worked its way into the win column, gaining 7.93 points to 5,291.33.
The NASDAQ recovered 28.38 points to 16,857.05.
Dow Inc., 3M and Caterpillar, fell more than 1%, keeping gains for the Dow in check. Bath & Body Works was the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500, losing 12% on the back of disappointing guidance.
Investors also parsed a fresh reading on job openings. employment data from the Labor Department showed 8.059 million vacancies in April, the lowest level in over three years. An estimate from Dow Jones called for 8.4 million openings.
Investors want a labour market that’s weak enough to allow the central bank to cut interest rates, but not so weak that it causes worry over a potential recession rise.
Prices for the 10-year Treasury gained ground, lowering yields to 4.33% from Monday’s 4.40%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices shed 91 cents to $73.31 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices sank $22.20 to $2,347.10
