Investing.com - U.S. stocks rose in thin trading on Monday as investors waited on the sidelines ahead of Alcoa's quarterly earnings, which kicks off the quarterly reporting season.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.33%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.63%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.57%.
U.S. metals giant Alcoa reported after the closing bell that it earned during the first quarter of 2013 USD0.11 per share, beating expectations of USD0.08 per share.
Revenue came in at USD5.83 billion, below expectations of USD5.88 billion.
Investors remained largely on the sidelines during the session though a few jumped in and took up long positions in afternoon trading hoping for good news from Alcoa, which pushed indices higher.
Trading was quiet as expectations for disappointing earnings down the road kept many market participants on the sidelines.
Elsewhere, investors continued to digest the U.S. March jobs report released late last week.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday the economy added 88,000 nonfarm payrolls in March, way below expectations for a gain of 200,000 and below the 268,000 jobs added in February.
The private sector added 95,000 jobs last month, after an increase of 254,000 in February, missing expectations for a 209,000 rise.
The report also showed that the U.S. unemployment rate ticked down to 7.6% in March, from 7.7% the previous month, as more Americans left the labor force.
Analysts were expecting the headline unemployment rate to remain unchanged last month.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Alcoa, up 2.06%, Bank of America, up 2.01%, and Coca-Cola, up 1.97%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Johnson & Johnson, down 1.18%, AT&T, down 1.03%, and Caterpillar, down 0.48%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished higher.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.15%, France's CAC 40 rose 0.09%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished up 0.05%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 gained 0.43%.
At the close of U.S. trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 0.33%, the S&P 500 index rose 0.63%, while the Nasdaq Composite index rose 0.57%.
U.S. metals giant Alcoa reported after the closing bell that it earned during the first quarter of 2013 USD0.11 per share, beating expectations of USD0.08 per share.
Revenue came in at USD5.83 billion, below expectations of USD5.88 billion.
Investors remained largely on the sidelines during the session though a few jumped in and took up long positions in afternoon trading hoping for good news from Alcoa, which pushed indices higher.
Trading was quiet as expectations for disappointing earnings down the road kept many market participants on the sidelines.
Elsewhere, investors continued to digest the U.S. March jobs report released late last week.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday the economy added 88,000 nonfarm payrolls in March, way below expectations for a gain of 200,000 and below the 268,000 jobs added in February.
The private sector added 95,000 jobs last month, after an increase of 254,000 in February, missing expectations for a 209,000 rise.
The report also showed that the U.S. unemployment rate ticked down to 7.6% in March, from 7.7% the previous month, as more Americans left the labor force.
Analysts were expecting the headline unemployment rate to remain unchanged last month.
Leading Dow Jones Industrial Average performers included Alcoa, up 2.06%, Bank of America, up 2.01%, and Coca-Cola, up 1.97%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average's worst performers included Johnson & Johnson, down 1.18%, AT&T, down 1.03%, and Caterpillar, down 0.48%.
European indices, meanwhile, finished higher.
After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.15%, France's CAC 40 rose 0.09%, while Germany's DAX 30 finished up 0.05%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 gained 0.43%.