Stocks finish lower, Dow clings to gains after latest batch of earnings

U.S. stocks finished lower on Tuesday with only the Dow clinging to gains for the session as investors digested more earnings reports from major American firms. The S&P 500 SPX shed roughly 3 points, or 0.1%, to finish just shy of 4,017. The Nasdaq Composite COMP dropped by 30 points, or 0.3%, to roughly 11,334. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 104 points, or 0.3%, to finish at roughly 33,734. More earnings from major U.S. companies, including Microsoft Corp. MSFT are due out after the bell.

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