Stocks Ended Slightly Higher on Energy Lift

U.S. stocks closed marginally higher on Tuesday, as a jump in energy shares helped lift broader markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 19.51 points, or 0.11%, to 17,812.19. The S&P 500 gained 2.55 points, or 0.12%, to 2,089.14. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.33 point, or 0.01%, to 5,102.81.

Hewlett-Packard Co.reported fourth-quarter earnings. The company reported earnings per share of 73 cents, compared with 70 cents in the year-earlier period. Revenue fell 9% from the same period last year to $25.7 billion.

The nation’s largest public pension, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, said on Tuesday that it had paid $3.4 billion to private equity firms in profit-sharing over the past 25 years – a big step to opening the curtain on an industry known for its lack of transparency and high fees.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said on Tuesday his space transportation company, Blue Origin, plans about two more years of test flights before it will offer rides to passengers.