NEW YORK, March 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Wall Street stocks mostly closed higher on Tuesday, building on earlier gains amid hopes that US President Donald Trump might take a narrower approach to upcoming tariffs than originally expected.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat at 42,587.50, while the broad-based S&P 500 Index advanced 0.2 percent to 5,776.65.

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index added 0.5 percent to 18,271.86.

"The absence of bad news is good news for stocks," said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Investments.

He added that there has been "so much bad news" over the last few weeks that the respite on Tuesday allowed investors to breathe a sigh of relief.

For now, markets are waiting for further hints about Trump's upcoming tariff rollout, with the president having promised "reciprocal tariffs" tailored to each trading partner on April 2.

While Trump earlier signaled that sector-specific levies hitting industries like automobiles and semiconductors could come around the same day, the White House said Monday that the situation remained fluid.

Tuesday's market gains came despite US consumer confidence falling for a fourth straight month in March, the Conference Board said, with survey respondents flagging growing concerns about the economic impact of Trump's trade plans.

Separately, new US home sales picked up slightly less than expected last month, with analysts warning that tariffs could raise costs for homebuilders -- weighing on the market subsequently.

Looking ahead, investors will be awaiting updates on US GDP data released Thursday, and the release of a key inflation gauge due Friday.