Hopes that global manufacturing activity is heating up lifted industrial stocks Monday ahead of an earnings report from Alcoa Inc.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 46 points, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced for a sixth straight day. The Nasdaq composite index slipped.
After the closing bell, Alcoa posted revenue that topped expectations, but profits excluding one-time costs fell short of forecasts. The report from the nation's largest aluminum producer gave traders one of the first looks at how companies fared in the final quarter of 2009.
The Alcoa numbers followed a report that China's exports jumped 18 percent in December. The bigger-than-expected increase came after 13 straight months of
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 46 points, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced for a sixth straight day. The Nasdaq composite index slipped.
After the closing bell, Alcoa posted revenue that topped expectations, but profits excluding one-time costs fell short of forecasts. The report from the nation's largest aluminum producer gave traders one of the first looks at how companies fared in the final quarter of 2009.
The Alcoa numbers followed a report that China's exports jumped 18 percent in December. The bigger-than-expected increase came after 13 straight months of