Energy companies led US stocks higher Tuesday as investors hoped higher oil prices and bigger profits are on the way, the AP reports. And a number of companies announced deals following the Labor Day holiday. The Dow Jones industrial average picked up 46.16 points, or 0.2%, to 18,538.12. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 6.50 points, or 0.3%, to 2,186.48. The Nasdaq composite jumped 26.01 points, or 0.5%, to close at a record 5,275.91. (More stock market stories.)