Dow industrials and the S&P 500 had modest gains heading into the final hour of Monday’s trading, after struggling for direction over much of the trading day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up just 17 points, while the S&P 500 advanced only 8 points or almost 0.2% despite getting a lift from financial shares. Investors were in wait-and-see mode on whether President Joe Biden and Republican lawmakers could make progress on the U.S. debt ceiling at a scheduled meeting on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.5%.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.