US stocks edged barely higher in early Tuesday afternoon trading as investors anticipated the Federal Reserve would stay on its course of only "measured" interest-rate increases.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc shares rose after the two top investment banks reported better-than-expected quarterly profits. Goldman's shares rose $2.62 or 2.9 percent to $94.30 while Lehman Brothers rose $3.64 or 4.8 percent to $79.66.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 13 points, or 0.13 percent, at 10,218. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 4 points, or 0.33 percent, at 1,126. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was up 7 points, or 0.35 percent, at 1,915.