The US markets ended marginally higher on Tuesday as investors were responding to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and remedies. Optimism about another big fiscal stimulus also pushed up prices. Intel, General Electric, DuPont, Travelers Companies, Goldman Sachs and Caterpillar gained 2 to 3.5 percent. Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase, Chevron and Walmart also ended notably higher. However, the political tensions in the US, and worries about rising coronavirus cases weighed on stocks. Investors were also looking ahead to quarterly earnings reports.
On the political front, articles of impeachment against US President Donald Trump are under way in the House. Trump warned that it was dangerous to the United States for him to be impeached. He also claimed his inflammatory comments at a rally shortly before the outbreak of violence in the halls of Congress, which lead to four deaths, were not harmful. People thought what I said was totally appropriate, Trump said when he was asked what his personal responsibility was for the violence. The riot happened after Trump and his family members urged supporters at a rally to fight with him to reverse Joe Biden's Electoral College win.
Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 60 points or 0.19 percent to 31,068.69, Nasdaq rose 36 points or 0.28 percent to 13,072.43 and S&P 500 was up by 1.58 points or 0.04 percent to 3,801.19.
