The Nasdaq composite inched fractionally higher in Tuesday's session. The S&P 500 shed less than 0.1%. Small caps led the market, with the Russell 2000 index climbing nearly 0.7%. The Russell recouped about half of Monday's drop of nearly 1.6%.

Investors are digesting Trump's stiff tariffs on imports from more than a dozen countries and delayed the return of sweeping April levies.