Stocks build on their gains and open higher on Wall Street

The Associated Press

Stocks are off to a solid start on Wall Street Tuesday as investors continue to wager that the new variant of the COVID-19 virus won’t pose a big threat to the economy. The S&P 500 rose 1.4% in the first few minutes of trading, adding to its gains from a day earlier. The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 2%, and small-company stocks also posted gains. Safe-play sectors like utilities lagged the rest of the market. Treasury yields rose and crude oil prices climbed about 3%. European markets were also solidly higher, and Asian markets closed higher overnight.