Stocks Edged Higher amid Earnings

U.S. stocks edged higher in the early trading on Monday ahead of a heavy week of corporate earnings. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately added 30.47 points, or 0.19%, to 16,439.01. The S&P 500 was up 2.88 points,or 0.15%, at 1,867.73. The Nasdaq Composite gained 7.94 points, or 0.19%, at 4,103.46.

Halliburton Co. (HAL) swung to a first-quarter profit from a year-earlier period that was weighed down by a charge related to litigation stemming from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Toymaker Hasbro (HAS) reported stronger-than-expected earnings Monday. Hasbro reported $679.5 million in first quarter revenue, a 2% increase over the prior-year quarter. First quarter net income (including special items) came in at $32.1 million, or 24 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $6.7 million, or a loss of 5 cents per share, for the same time in 2013.

Pfizer may come back to bid for British drug company AstraZeneca after its reported 60 billion pound ($101 billion) takeover approach was rejected, since a deal could make sense for the U.S. pharmaceuticals giant as it seeks to build up its cancer franchise.