NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks advanced on Tuesday, led by defensive sectors, in a sign the cash piles recently moving into the market are being put to use by cautious investors to pick up more gains.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 72.87 points, or 0.52 percent, to 13,954.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 7.70 points, or 0.51 percent, to 1,507.88. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 0.64 points, or 0.02 percent, to 3,153.66.

(Reporting By Edward Krudy; Editing by Nick Zieminski)