U.S. stocks opened mostly higher Monday as corporate earnings reports continued to roll in and ahead of a Wednesday meeting of the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 64 points, 0.2%, to open near 34,107, while the S&P 500 gained 8 points, 0.2%, to start trading near 4,189. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 0.3%, or about 35 points, and traded near 14,0152. Stocks notched a weekly decline Friday as the suggestion of higher taxes bit at already pricey valuations. Still, most analysts think there are more tailwinds than obstacles ahead for equities. Earnings continue to surprise to the upside, including those from elevator maker Otis Worldwide in the premarket session Monday, and deals are getting done: on Monday, shares of Flagstar Bancorp Inc. were higher after the Michigan-based bank announced an agreement to be acquired by New York Community Bancorp. Inc. .
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.
