Stocks were higher near Tuesday’s halftime after struggling for direction early amid some mixed economic reports. The Nasdaq rose 0.4%, boosted by gains in biotechs and social media stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 each edged up 0.1%. Volume was running mixed compared with the same time Monday. NYSE trade was tracking higher and Nasdaq volume was lower. Even with a twitchy market, some leaders made solid moves.