Stocks have eased off of session highs at the same time that the dollar has made a move up from its session low. The dollar is still down with a 0.1% loss and the stock market is still up with a solid gain, though.
Consumer staples stocks continue to climb. The sector is now up 1.2% as participants show a preference for defensive-oriented issues. That preference has lifted the telecom sector to a 0.9% gain, the health care sector 0.8% higher, and the utilities sector up 0.7%. Financials are still lagging; their 0.3% loss makes them the worst performing sector of the day.