Tech firms drive stock indexes to new highs

Gains in technology companies helped lift U.S. stock index higher Monday, nudging the market once again into record territory.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed at an alltime high, as did the Dow Jones industrial average. The latest gain extended the Dow’s winning streak to 10 days.

Traders bid up shares in microchip makers and other technology companies. Grocery chains, drugstore operators and other consumer-focused companies also helped drive the market higher. Energy companies declined the most along with the price of crude oil. Banks and industrial companies also lagged.

The S&P 500 index rose 4.08 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,480.91. The Dow gained 25.61 points, or 0.1 percent, to 22,118.42. The Nasdaq composite added 32.21 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,383.77. The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks picked up 1.85 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,414.17.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.26 percent from 2.27 percent late Friday.

Technology companies led the market’s gainers Monday. Lam Research rose $5.79, or 3.9 percent, to $155.84. KLA-Tencor rose $3.18, or 3.6 percent, to $92.01.

Energy stocks were on the other end of the spectrum. Pioneer Natural Resources fell $5.70, or 4.2 percent, to $129.64, while Newfield Exploration lost $1.39, or 5 percent, to $26.44.

Traders also continued to bid up shares in companies whose earnings topped analysts’ forecasts.

Tyson Foods climbed $3.60, or 5.7 percent, to $66.90. The meat processor’s forecasts also pleased investors. ON Semiconductor jumped $1.23, or 8.1 percent, to $16.33.

Some companies’ results disappointed the market.

Armstrong Flooring slumped 17.5 percent after the company’s latest quarterly results fell well short of analysts’ forecasts. The stock slid $3.03 to $14.25.

The market welcomed the proposed combination of NxStage Medical and Germany’s Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. NxStage, a medical device company, agreed to be acquired by Fresenius for $30 a share in a cash deal valued at about $2 billion. NxStage shares vaulted $6.53, or 28.2 percent, to $29.67.

Oil prices fell. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 19 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $49.39 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 5 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $52.37 a barrel in London.

In other energy futures trading, wholesale gasoline dipped 2 cents to $1.63 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1 cent to $1.64 a gallon. Natural gas gained 3 cents to $2.80 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold added 10 cents to $1,264.70 an ounce. Silver held steady at $16.25 an ounce. Copper rose 2 cents to $2.91 a pound.

The U.S. dollar climbed to 110.72 from 110.67 yen on Friday. It weakened against the euro, which rose to $1.1793 from $1.1769. The euro was below $1.06 as recently as April, before the dollar began weakening steadily.