02:21 PM EDT, 06/02/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US benchmark equity indexes were mostly higher intraday as investors evaluated fresh labor market data and continued to monitor Middle East developments.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3% at 51,225.9 after midday Tuesday, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 7,606.1. The Nasdaq Composite was little changed at 27,093.8. The indexes notched fresh closing highs in the previous session.

Among sectors, utilities paced the gainers intraday Tuesday, while communication services saw the biggest decline.

In economic news, US job openings hit their highest level in almost two years in April, while hiring and layoffs fell, official data showed.

"Job openings jumped to their highest level in nearly two years, but this likely overstates the strength of the labor market, as the increase didn't translate into a higher hiring rate," Oxford Economics said in a note. "The result should be taken with a grain of salt and doesn't suggest a sudden tightening of labor market conditions is ahead."

Official data are expected to show Friday that the US economy added 95,000 nonfarm jobs in May, compared with a 115,000 increase reported for the previous month, according to a Bloomberg poll.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 1.6% at $93.59 a barrel intraday Tuesday, while Brent rose 1.1% to $96.04.

Israel and Lebanon kicked off high-stakes talks in the US as renewed hostilities between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah threaten to derail peace talks between Washington and Tehran, CNN reported.

Negotiations with Iran have been "going on continuously," US President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

"Where they lead, one never knows, but as I told Iran, 'It's time, one way or another, for you to make a deal'," Trump said in a social media post.

On Monday, Iranian state-affiliated outlet Tasnim reported that the country suspended talks with the US in retaliation to Israel's military action in Lebanon.

US Treasury yields were mixed intraday Tuesday, with the 10-year rate down two basis points at 4.46%, and the two-year rate little changed at 4.05%.

In company news, Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( HPE ) shares jumped nearly 16%, the second-top gainer on the S&P 500. Late Monday, the information technology company lifted its full-year outlook and reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter results.

Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) shares surged 29% intraday Tuesday after Nvidia ( NVDA ) Chief Executive Jensen Huang reportedly said Marvell ( MRVL ) could be the next chip company to join the trillion-dollar club.

Palo Alto Networks ( PANW ) , Ulta Beauty ( ULTA ) and GitLab ( GTLB ) are expected to report their latest quarterly financial results after the closing bell Tuesday, along with others.

Gold was up 0.3% at $4,517.60 per troy ounce, while silver rose 0.4% to $75.54 per ounce.