U.S. Stocks Rise on Better Than Expected Earnings; DuPont Raises Outlook

U.S. stocks gained steam amid a host of strong earnings released on Tuesday. DuPont (DD) - Get Report shares rose after the company raised its 2016 profit outlook amid strength in its agricultural business. The company now expects earnings between $3.05 and $3.20  share - compared to a previously reported $2.95 to $3.10 a share. DuPont is prepping for its merger with Dow Chemical (DOW) - Get Report . 3M (MMM) - Get Report reported first quarter earnings of $2.05 a share, beating estimates of $1.92. Sales fell 2.2 percent over the past year to $7.4 billion, ahead of the $7.3 billion analysts were looking for. Plus, durable goods orders rose just 0.8 percent in March, while analysts were expecting a 1.8 percent increase. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which tracks prices in 20-metropolitan cities, rose 5.4 percent in February, missing expectations of 5.5 percent. TheStreet's Scott Gamm has details from Wall Street.