Markets Right Now: Banks, energy companies lead stock gains

NEW YORK – The latest on developments in financial markets (all times local):

4 p.m.

Stocks are closing mostly higher on Wall Street as gains for financial and energy companies outweigh weakness in the technology sector.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway rose 4.7 per cent Monday after the company announced solid results over the weekend.

Energy companies were broadly higher following an 8.6 per cent spike in the price of natural gas as forecasters predicted colder weather. EOG Resources climbed 3.9 per cent.

Technology companies continue to struggle. Apple fell 2.8 per cent.

The S&P 500 rose 15 points, or 0.6 per cent to 2,738.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 190 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 25,461. The Nasdaq composite lost 28 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 7,328.

Small-company stocks lagged the rest of the market.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.20 per cent.

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11:45 a.m.

Stocks are mostly higher in midday trading on Wall Street as gains for energy companies are offset by losses in other parts of the market.

A big jump in natural gas prices was helping send energy companies higher Monday. EOG Resources climbed 3.5 per cent.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway rose 4.8 per cent after the company announced solid results over the weekend and said it repurchased almost $1 billion in its own stock.

Technology companies continue to struggle. Apple fell 2.4 per cent.

The S&P 500 rose 3 points, or 0.1 per cent to 2,727.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 116 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 25,386. The Nasdaq composite lost 80 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 7,277.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.19 per cent.

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9:35 a.m.

U.S. stocks are mostly higher in early trading as gains for energy companies are offset by losses in other parts of the market.

A big jump in natural gas prices was helping send energy companies higher in the early going Monday. EOG Resources climbed 4.5 per cent.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway was up 4 per cent after the company announced solid results over the weekend and said it repurchased almost $1 billion in its own stock.

Technology companies continue to struggle as Apple fell 2.4 per cent.

The S&P 500 rose 7 points, or 0.3 per cent to 2,730.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 93 points, or 0.4 per cent, to 25,367. The Nasdaq composite slipped 30 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 7,323.