Stocks move modestly higher, Google’s parent company jumps

Stocks edged higher in afternoon trading Wednesday, as investors turn their focus to some strong earnings reports from Big Tech companies and hopes for getting more economic stimulus passed in Washington. Investors also continue to watch shares of companies such as GameStop and AMC Entertainment, which have been targets of a community of online investors. The S&P 500 was up 0.2%. Investors also had two positive economic reports to work through, one showing private sector hiring was better th