Stocks shook off a wobbly start and ended higher Tuesday as traders weighed another big set of company earnings reports.
Investors were also closely monitoring the latest developments with COVID-19 and its potential impact on a still-recovering economy amid the spread of the more contagious delta variant.
Health care and technology stocks led the gains. Clorox slumped after reporting disappointing financial results, while Ralph Lauren rose after handily beating analysts’ fiscal first-quarter profit forecasts.
