Wall St. Rises, Helped by Technology Sector - New York Times

United States markets drifted between gains and losses on Tuesday. Nine of the 11 sectors of the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index were lower. Utilities and real estate stocks were down the most.

KEEPING SCORE Near midday, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.12 percent and the S.&P. 500 was down 0.18 percent. The Nasdaq composite index gained 0.05 percent.

GOOD EATS Darden Restaurants stock rose 1.2 percent after the company reported strong first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expectations. Darden, the owner of Olive Garden and other restaurant chains, also raised its annual projections and said it would buy back more of its stock.

EUROPEAN MARKETS The FTSE 100 in Britain rose 1.3 percent as the pound continued to sink after the country’s prime minister gave a clear timetable on Monday for exiting the European Union. The pound is now at a 31-year low of $1.2750. A weaker pound makes the products and services of FTSE-listed multinationals cheaper abroad, lifting earnings. In Germany, the DAX rose 1 percent, and in France, the CAC 40 gained 1.3 percent.

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BANK BOOMERANG The United States-listed shares of Deutsche Bank rose 2.4 percent. Deutsche Bank, Germany’s biggest bank, has been under pressure since it revealed that the United States Justice Department had proposed that the bank pay $14 billion to settle an investigation into its dealings in risky mortgage bonds. The bank’s shares have been rising recently on a news report Friday that a lower fine was being discussed.

ASIA’S DAY The Nikkei 225 rose 0.8 percent in Japan as the weaker yen lifted shares of the country’s big export manufacturers. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng gained 0.5 percent. The Kospi was up 0.6 percent in South Korea. In Australia, the S.&P./ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent. Benchmarks in India, Taiwan and Southeast Asia advanced. The Shanghai composite index in China was closed for a holiday.

ENERGY Benchmark United States crude oil rose 4 cents, to $48.85 a barrel, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 18 cents, to $51.07 a barrel, in London.

BONDS AND CURRENCIES Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.65 percent. The euro slipped to $1.1144 from $1.1215, and the dollar rose to 102.76 yen from 101.57 yen.

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