ECONOMY

Stocks solid ahead of central bank meetings

The Associated Press
The American flag and Wall Street street sign outside the New York Stock Exchange. File Photo/The Associated Press

U.S. stocks are closing mostly higher as the energy sector got some help from an increase in oil prices.

ConocoPhillips jumped 4 percent Tuesday, while Pioneer Natural Resources climbed 8 percent.

Several stocks were moving on earnings news. Trucking company Ryder System rose 6 percent after reporting results that were better than analysts had expected. Chemicals maker DuPont rose 2 percent.

Appliance maker Whirlpool sank 4 percent after saying its results were hurt by a stronger dollar.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 13 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,990.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up three points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,091. The Nasdaq composite slipped seven points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,888.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.94 percent.