Stocks Opened Higher Amid Earnings Optimism

U.S. stocks opened modestly higher on Monday, with equities extending all-time highs, amid optimism over earnings after better-than-expected technology results last week sent the Nasdaq Composite Index to a record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately added 57.66 points, or 0.32%, to 18,137.80. The S&P 500 gained 4.75 points, or 0.22%, to 2,122.44. The Nasdaq Composite was up 15.85 points, or 0.31%, to 5,107.94.

U.S.-based Applied Materials Inc on Monday scrapped its $10 billion planned takeover of chip-making gear rival Tokyo Electron Ltd after the deal, a rare foreign bid for a Japanese firm, fell foul of U.S. anti-trust regulators.

French technology company Capgemini is paying about $4 billion to buy U.S. rival iGate Corp. and expand its presence in North America.Under the deal, which is expected to close in the second half of the year, Capgemini will pay $48 per share for iGate.