By Kate Gibson
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks wavered between small gains and losses Tuesday, putting in jeopardy a long-running winning streak for the S&P 500 index SPX -0.43% The S&P on Monday finished higher for an eighth consecutive session, its longest such stretch since January. "The eight-day run gave investors ample time and opportunity to cash out of the market if they felt the eventual Fed change would push stocks down - but they didn't. We're building a strong base, which we'll still need to test, but one which will help support higher prices down the road," said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices. If the index finishes in positive turf on Tuesday, it would be the longest streak since a nine-session stretch that ended Nov. 5, 2004. "If we make it today, the next record is 1995, which as a 12-day run," Silverblatt said.
