Stocks Move Higher as Investors Weigh Company Earnings

U.S. stock indexes moved mostly higher in morning trading Tuesday as investors pored through the latest batch of company earnings. Mining and energy companies were among the biggest gainers, while technology stocks lagged the most. Oil was up.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 70 points, or 0.4 percent, to 18,075 as of 11:13 a.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added eight points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,102. The Nasdaq composite index fell seven points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,952.

MINE THIS: Several mining companies were up sharply. Freeport-McMoRan gained 83 cents, or 7.5 percent, to $11.85, while Newmont Mining rose $1.33, or 4.5 percent, to $30.79.

ENERGY PLAY: Southwestern Energy led oil and natural gas companies higher. The stock rose 63 cents, or 6 percent, to $11.10. Devon Energy climbed $1.75, or 5.5 percent, to $33.75, while Noble Energy gained $1.75, or 5.4 percent, to $34.32.

TUNING OUT: Netflix slumped 10.7 percent a day after the streaming video company’s latest subscriber forecast disappointed investors. Netflix’s first-quarter revenue also fell short of Wall Street’s expectations. The stock lost $11.55 to $96.85.

HEALTHIER OUTLOOK: UnitedHealth Group added 2 percent after the health insurance company raised its guidance for the year and reported strong results for the first quarter. The stock gained $2.56 to $130.44.

STRONG QUARTER: Kansas City Southern gained 3.3 percent after the railroad operator posted larger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The stock rose $2.92 to $94.39.

CTRL-ALT-DEL: IBM slid 5.5 percent after the company delivered improved first-quarter earnings thanks to a big tax refund, but also lower revenue amid weaker software sales. The stock shed $8.40 to $144.07.

OVERSEAS: Upbeat economic data and a rebound in oil prices lifted European markets. Germany’s DAX was up 2.2 percent, while France’s CAC 40 was up 1.3 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.8 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rallied 3.7 percent following a sharp loss on Monday. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 1.3 percent.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude was up $1.46, or 3.7 percent, to $41.24 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up $1.43, or 3.3 percent, to $44.34 a barrel in London. Natural gas was up 10 cents, or 5 percent, to $2.04 per 1,000 cubic feet.

BONDS AND CURRENCIES: Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.80 percent from 1.77 percent late Monday. In currency markets, the yen resumed its slide with the dollar strengthening to 109.23 yen from 108.82 yen. The euro rose to $1.1383 from $1.1314.