NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their record levels on Tuesday following the latest discouraging signal on the job market's health. Wall Street is hoping for a slowdown that's deep enough to get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but not so overwhelming that it causes a recession.
The S&P 500 rose 0.2% after bobbing earlier in the morning around its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 209 points, or 0.5%, as of 2:04 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was edging higher by 0.2% from its own record set the day before.
Traders have become convinced that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates for the first time this year at its next meeting in a week to prop up the slowing job market. A report Tuesday offered the latest si