Technology stocks lead S&P 500 higher on Tuesday

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U.S. stocks remained mostly higher in the final hour of trading on Tuesday, buoyed by big gains in shares of technology firms.

The S&P 500 was rising 0.3% as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, helped by an over 1.5% advance for stocks in the communication-services sector. The S&P 500’s information-technology sector was surging 1.2%, also helping to spur the broader market’s gains, according to FactSet data.

At the other end of the spectrum, the S&P 500’s utilities sector was off 1.7% and the worst performer among the large-cap benchmark index’s 11 sectors, while the energy sector was off 1.4%, according to FactSet data.