Balanced News: Dow, S&P 500 post modest gains Tuesday, stocks bounce after 4-session skid

U.S. stocks posted modest gains on Tuesday, climbing a day after the Dow and S&P 500 cemented a fourth day in a row of declines and stocks slumped to their lowest levels in about a month. The S&P 500 index SPX, +0.10% gained 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, +0.01% closed virtually flat, according to FactSet. U.S. stocks rallied modestly in afternoon trade, with the S&P 500 led higher by gains in the energy, communication services and materials sectors.