NEW YORK, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday, as markets reacted to optimistic corporate earnings and a pause in tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump following his return to the White House.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 537.98 points, or 1.24 percent, to 44,025.81. The S&P 500 added 52.58 points, or 0.88 percent, to 6,049.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 126.58 points, or 0.64 percent, to 19,756.78.
Ten of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with industrials and real estate leading the gainers by going up 2.03 percent and 1.83 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy bucked the trend by losing 0.64 percent.
Trump's decision to delay the implementation of tariffs provided relief to U.S. manufacturers dependent on imported goods. General Motors shares surged 5.73 percent after an analyst hinted at "positive surprises" under the new administration, while Charles Schwab posted a 5.92 percent gain on the back of a 76 percent jump in quarterly profits. Materials giant 3M saw its stock climb 4.16 percent after forecasting growth in sales and profit for the year.
Despite the initial market reaction, Trump indicated he might still impose universal tariffs, with a 25 percent levy on Canadian and Mexican imports slated to begin on Feb. 1. Additionally, his first day in office saw a flurry of executive orders targeting border, energy, and diversity policies, signaling swift policy changes that could influence market dynamics in the weeks ahead.
"President Trump's Inauguration Day policy announcements on tariffs were more benign than expected," said Alec Phillips, chief U.S. political economist at Goldman Sachs, in a note to clients. "For now, it is a lower priority than we would have expected."
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield dropped 3.7 basis points to 4.573 percent, marking its lowest close since Dec. 30, according to Dow Jones Market Data recorded at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
Investors are turning their attention to the next round of quarterly earnings, with Netflix set to announce its earnings after the market closes. "Right now, earnings are almost the undercurrent of the stock market, and policy is taking center stage," Ritholtz Wealth Management chief markets strategist Callie Cox said. Enditem
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