U.S. stocks rise as Dow finishes just shy of 35,000-point perch

NEW YORK, July 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. equities advanced on Monday with the 30-stock index ending just shy of the 35,000-point threshold, as investors awaited earnings reports and economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 126.02 points, or 0.36 percent, to 34,996.18. The S&P 500 added 15.08 points, or 0.35 percent, to 4,384.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 31.32 points, or 0.21 percent, to 14,733.24.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors finished in green, with financials and communication services up 0.96 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively, leading the gainers. The consumer staples and energy groups, however, struggled.

U.S.-listed Chinese companies traded mostly lower with six of the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P U.S. Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.

The above market reactions came as investors eyed the start of second-quarter earnings reports. U.S. bank giants JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs will be among the first big companies to deliver on Tuesday morning.

Wall Street will also look to a slew of economic data this week, including key gauges on U.S. inflation slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, initial jobless claims on Thursday and the June retail sales numbers on Friday.

For the week ending July 9, U.S. stocks eked out modest gains, which saw the Dow climb 0.2 percent, while the S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both advance 0.4 percent.