How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 4/23/2024

Stocks rallied for a second straight day on Wall Street, softening what’s been a rough April.

The S&P 500 added 1.2% Tuesday to pull further out of the hole created by a six-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.6%.

A weaker-than-expected report on U.S. business activity helped support the market, which remains in an awkward phase. The hope on Wall Street is for the economy to avoid a severe recession, but not to stay so hot that it keeps upward pressure on inflation. GE Aerospace soared after raising its profit forecast.

On Tuesday:

The S&P 500 rose 59.95 points, or 1.2%, to 5,070.55.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 263.71 points, or 0.7%, to 38,503.69.

The Nasdaq composite rose 245.33 points, or 1.6%, to 15,696.64.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 35.17 points, or 1.8%, to 2,002.64.

For the week:

The S&P 500 is up 103.32 points, or 2.1%.

The Dow is up 517.29 points, or 1.4%.

The Nasdaq is up 414.63 points, or 2.7%.

The Russell 2000 is up 54.99 points, or 2.8%.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 300.72 points, or 6.3%.

The Dow is up 814.15 points, or 2.2%.

The Nasdaq is up 685.29 points, or 4.6%.

The Russell 2000 is down 24.43 points, or 1.2%.