Sector Snap: Engineering, construction firms rise

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. rose nearly 2.5 percent, to $75.10, up by $1.81 a share. Fluor Corp. was up nearly 3 percent, to $80.75, or $2.24 a share.

And Shaw Group was up about 2.9 percent, to $50.34, or up $1.40 a share.

The Commerce Department reported that orders for durable goods rose 1.3 percent last month, far above the slight 0.1 percent increase economists had been expecting. It matched a 1.3 percent rise in June, which was revised up from an earlier reading of 0.8 percent.

Both months turned in the strongest gains since a 4.1 percent surge last December.

KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Tahira Afzal on Tuesday reiterated a "Buy" rating for Jacobs Engineering following its acquisition of British-based LES Engineering, an industrial maintenance firm, for undisclosed terms.

The acquisition is in line with Jacob Engineering's business model, "which is focused largely on niche acquisitions that entail a recurring revenue stream," Afzal wrote in a note to investors.

The acquisition of LES Engineering "restores regional balance" to its growth model by expanding its presence in Europe, he said.