Stocks are ending a choppy day higher after the White House announced tariffs on steel and aluminum that carved out exceptions for key US allies including Canada and Mexico, the AP reports. Technology and health care stocks posted some of the biggest gains Thursday. Pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts jumped 8.6% after agreeing to be bought by health insurer Cigna. Grocery chain Kroger tumbled 12% after its annual profit forecast fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Traders are turning their focus to the monthly jobs report due out early Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 12 points, or 0.4%, to 2,738. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 93 points, or 0.4%, to 24,895. The Nasdaq rose 31 points, or 0.4%, to 7,427. (More stock market stories.)