Wall Street fights for direction, but Dow closes higher for third consecutive day

US stocks tended to fight for direction on Tuesday, but the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished higher. The index gained 104.40 points, or 0.31%, to close at 33,733.96. The S&P 500 dipped 0.07% to settle at 4,016.95, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.27% to end at 11,334.27.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished higher Tuesday as investors parsed through the latest batch of corporate earnings reports for insight into the state of the economy.

Earnings season continued Tuesday with mixed results. 3M dropped 6.2% on disappointing guidance, while Union Pacific dipped 3.3% after the railroad company’s results fell short of analysts’ estimates. The unofficial start to big-tech results kicks off with Microsoft reporting after the bell.

Tuesday’s market moves come after a solid start to the week, with all the major averages coming off of back-to-back gains. The gains have come despite an underwhelming start to earnings season and more signs that the U.S. economy is slowing. Some investors hope these findings will prompt a pivot from the Fed when it convenes at its policy meeting next week.