Strong earnings reports from big U.S. companies helped push the Dow Jones industrial average to its eighth gain in nine sessions Tuesday.
DuPont, Verizon and Travelers Cos., three of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow, closed higher after reporting their financial results for the final quarter of 2012.Earnings have been strong enough to drive a five-day winning streak for the Standard & Poor's 500 and put the Dow on track for its biggest monthly percentage gain since October 2011.Johnson & Johnson said higher sales helped boost its profit from a year ago, but the company's 2013 profit forecast fell short of estimates. J&J dropped 54 cents to $72.69.Verizon Communications rose after the country's biggest wireless carrier said it activated a record number of new devices on contract-based plans. Verizon's net loss widened on restructuring and pension costs and expenses related to Superstorm Sandy. Its stock rose 40 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $42.94. -- The Associated PressHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
