Stocks Fluctuated after Paris Attacks

U.S. stocks opened lower and climbed in the early trading on Monday, as global equities slumped following the Paris terror attacks. Travel-related stocks were under pressure, while energy companies rose following oil prices higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately rose 43.72 points, or 0.25%, to 17,288.96. The S&P 500 gained 7.22 points, or 0.36%, to 2,030.26. The Nasdaq Composite was up 2.93 points, or 0.06%, to 4,930.81.

Oil futures advanced early Monday, with analysts citing fears about supply disruptions after France launched airstrikes in Syria following terror attacks in Paris. West Texas Intermediate crude for December delivery
gained 36 cents, or 0.9%, to $41.10 a barrel, while January Brent crude rose by 31 cents, or 0.7%, to $44.78 a barrel.

Factory activity in New York state contracted for the fourth straight month in November. The New York Federal Reserve’s Empire State manufacturing index, released Monday, edged up slightly to minus 10.7, from minus 11.4 in October. Still, any figure below zero indicates contraction.

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) increased the value of this equity holdings to $127.41 billion during the third quarter from $107.18 billion in the second quarter, as it took a new stake in AT&T Inc. and boosted its holding in General Motors Co. regulatory filings show.

Inflation returned to the eurozone in October, although the rate at which consumer prices rose fell well short of the European Central Bank’s target. The European Union’s statistics agency Monday said prices were 0.1% higher in October than a year earlier, having been 0.1% lower in September.