U.S. stocks gain; S&P 500 extends streak to six

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The U.S. stock market closed higher Tuesday, with the S&P 500 extending its winning streak to six days, the longest streak of gains since September 2013.

Investors welcomed better-than-expected results from Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) and Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) , while a flurry of deal news in the health-care sector added to positive sentiment.

The S&P 500 (SPX)  ended the day 7.66 points, or 0.4%, higher at 1,879.55, rising for six straight sessions. The health-care sector lead gains thanks to deal activity between several pharmaceutical companies, including Allergan and Valeant.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)  closed off session highs, but still gained 65.12 points, or 0.4%, to 16,514.37. The Dow Transportation Index (DJT)  closed at a record level after adding 48.71 points, or 0.6%, to 7,734.90.

/quotes/zigman/85342/delayed/quotes/nls/ibb IBB 234.72, +7.38, +3.25% Biotech companies state a rally

The Nasdaq Composite (COMP)  added 39.91 points, or 1%, to 4,161.46, recording the sixth consecutive session of gains, helped by a 6% rally in Netflix, Inc. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies also jumped. Both the Nasdaq Biotechnology index (NBI)   and the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB)   rose 3.2%.

The day also continued a positive streak for Tuesday's . Tuesday is the only weekday that has averaged with a gain so far this year for the S&P 500 and the Dow, according to FactSet. Since the beginning of the year, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite fell only twice on a Tuesday. All three main indexes rose for the past six Tuesdays.

Read the recap of the MarketWatch's live blog of today's stock-market action.

Comcast, Lockheed Martin beat expectations; Allergan jumps

The day's economic data provided a little support. The sales pace of existing homes ticked down in March to the slowest rate since July 2012, according to data released Tuesday, however the decline was smaller than the consensus rate forecast by economists polled by MarketWatch. The SPDR S&P Homebuilder ETF (XHB)  gained 1%.

In earnings news, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) shares climbed 1.9% after the telecommunications company reported first-quarter earnings and revenue ahead of analyst forecasts.

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