-- Consumer stocks rose late Tuesday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) up 0.1% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) advancing 2.2%.
In sector news, Redbook US same-store sales rose 7% from a year earlier in the week ended April 11 after a 7.6% year-over-year increase in the previous week.
In corporate news, Ford (F) has a "credible" path to delivering 2027 EPS of above $2, with a march towards $3 beyond 2027, UBS Securities said in a note. UBS upgraded Ford to buy from neutral, with a $15 price target. Ford shares climbed up 4.7%.
Walt Disney (DIS) will eliminate around 1,000 jobs, including positions in marketing, studio and television units, and certain corporate functions, Reuters reported. Disney shares rose 1.5%.
FedEx (FDX) said its finance chief will step down in early June as the parcel delivery giant completes the spinoff of its freight business into a new publicly listed company. FedEx fell 0.8%.
United Airlines (UAL) Chief Executive Scott Kirby proposed a potential combination with American Airlines (AAL) during a late February meeting with President Donald Trump, Reuters reported Monday. A consolidated carrier would be more competitive globally, aligning with the administration's focus on international trade deficits, the news outlet quoted Kirby as saying. United shares rose 2.3%, and American jumped past 8%.