U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Tuesday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 134.13 points, or 0.30 percent, to 44,556.04. The S&P 500 added 43.31 points, or 0.72 percent, to 6,037.88. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 262.06 points, or 1.35 percent, to 19,654.01.

Seven of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with energy and communication services leading the gainers by going up 2.18 percent and 1.48 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, utilities and consumer staples led the laggards by dropping 0.88 percent and 0.51 percent, respectively.