U.S. stocks ended higher with a boost from technology shares amid light Columbus Day trading on Monday, while crude prices dipped as investors parsed signs of economic softness in China and girded themselves for a string of high-profile corporate earnings.

The SP 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average achieved record closing highs on Friday, driven primarily by surging financial stocks. Major banks and asset managers reported strong quarterly earnings,

The S&P 500 added 0.8% on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, as tech gains helped push the index to an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 200 points. Shares of companies exposed to AI technology,