US Stocks Higher As Industrials, Materials Pace Move

Another round of buying in industrial and materials companies, including General Electric and DuPont, helped stocks close slightly higher Monday, while AES paced a move into the black for utilities.

Overall, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 21.39 points at 9626.80, marking its sixth gain in seven sessions. Leading the index, General Electric climbed 68 cents, or 4.6%, to $15.35, while DuPont rose 47 cents, or 1.5%, to 32.28.

The gains for materials and industrials continue a recent trend where both sectors have leapt higher on the backs of improving sentiment surrounding economies around the globe. This improvement in sentiment has been especially helpful for the commodities markets, with oil, gas and metals all rising along with the stock market. (more)