US stocks ended higher on Tuesday as crude prices steadied and US Treasury yields eased, offering some reprieve from concerns that have preoccupied investors in recent weeks, and allowing markets to turn their attention to the approaching third-quarter reporting season. The broad rally pushed the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to all-time closing highs. The blue-chip Dow remains just over 5 percent shy of its record closing level reached on August 5. When oil prices stabilise or move lower, "that causes yields to move down because there's less anxiety about energy-driven inflation, which in turn is helping lift stocks higher," said Oliver Pursche, senior vice president at Wealthspire Advisors in New York. "This has been the narrative of the market for the last couple of weeks." Six of the "Magnificent Seven" group of AI-linked mega-cap firms advanced, bolstering gains, while small-caps lagged their larger-cap counterparts. The AI trade is very much alive, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index gaining ground. Expenditures on AI-related infrastructure were reflected in international trade data, which showed imports of capital goods rose by 4.4 percent in August. The Commerce Department's report showed the US trade deficit grew by 13.7 percent as imports rose to a record high. On monthly and annual bases, imports have grown by 4.3 percent and 28.4 percent, respectively, reflecting robust domestic demand that could exacerbate inflation pressures, particularly amid war-related supply constraints. Even so, financial markets are currently pricing in a diminishing probability of 19.4 percent that the US Federal Reserve will implement its second consecutive rate hike at this month's monetary policy meeting, down from 50.9 percent a week ago, according to CME's FedWatch tool. Fed rate hike bets have been responsive to oil prices, which have surged amid the Iran war, threatening to morph into broader price pressures. But supply worries eased after the Group of Seven countries reached an agreement to release emergency diesel and crude stockpiles, helping to stabilise front-month WTI and Brent crude futures. "We don't expect (the Fed) to do anything at the next meeting," said Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder in New York. "But I think they're in a gradual hiking cycle." "High oil prices have hit a broad range of consumers," Ghriskey added. "That's one of the reasons for the recent Fed hike." The S&P 500 rose 0.6 percent, to 7,818, the Dow rose 0.5 percent, to 51,521, while the Nasdaq rose 0.5 percent, to 27,599. Third-quarter earnings season kicks off next week, with a number of high-profile financial firms expected to report next Tuesday. (Reuters) Edited by Cecil Wong