Stocks finished higher Tuesday as investors parsed the latest retail sales data and a fresh batch of corporate earnings reports. Blue chip stocks handily outperformed thanks to an impressive beat from insurance giant UnitedHealth Group (UNH), though not all of the day's other results were as well-received.
Starting with the economic calendar. Ahead of the bell, data from the Census Bureau showed retail sales were flat from May to June, beating economists' estimate for a 0.3% monthly decline. The report also showed that May retail sales were upwardly revised to an increase of 0.3% vs the initial reading of 0.1%.
