Stocks Overcome Jitters, End Higher

Updated from 4:12 p.m. EDT

New York's major averages struggled for direction for a good part of the session Tuesday, but they went out higher as investors ultimately decided that mixed news on the corporate and economic fronts tilted toward the positive side.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average spent time on both sides of the flat line before finishing 60.41 points higher at 12,362.47. The S&P 500 added 6.11 points at 1334.43, and the Nasdaq Composite ticked up 10.22 points at 2286.04. All three were up by about 0.5%.

Hank Smith, chief investment officer with Haverford Investments, noted that encouraging numbers from both Charles Schwab (SCHW Quote) and M&T Bank (MTB Quote), in particular, helped keep some upward pressure on shares. ...