NEW YORK - US stocks ended higher on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 79.73 points, or 0.16 percent, to 48,442.41. The S&P 500 added 31.3 points, or 0.46 percent, to 6,909.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 133.01 points, or 0.57 percent, to 23,561.84.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with communication services and technology leading the gainers by going up 0.99 percent and 0.95 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer staples and health led the laggards by losing 0.41 percent and 0.19 percent, respectively.