U.S. stocks mixed; Dow rises 1.02% to near one-month high

U.S. stocks were mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 1.02% to a near one-month high, while the S&P 500 gained 0.29% and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.02%. Healthcare, financial, and utility sectors led gains, while technology, basic materials, and industrials declined. Top Dow performers included 3M (up 5.78%), Amgen (up 3.29%), and Merck (up 3.25%); laggards were Apple (down 0.99%), Walmart (down 0.72%), and Boeing (down 0.50%). The VIX fear index fell 6.13% to 17.31. Breadth was positive: 1,844 NYSE stocks rose versus 854 falling, and 2,227 Nasdaq stocks advanced against 1,129 declining. Gold futures slipped 0.05% to $4,140.40, while WTI crude rose 0.15% to $97.97. The dollar index was flat at 101.53.