Stocks Ended Higher, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Hit Records

U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ending the day at fresh record highs, as investors looked forward to the signing of a U.S.-China trade deal and the start of fourth-quarter earnings season later this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 83.28 points, or 0.29%, to 28,907.05. The S&P 500 rose 22.78 points, or 0.70%, to 3,288.13. The Nasdaq Composite gained 95.07 points, or 1.04%, to 9,273.93.

Oil futures fell for a fifth session in a row on Monday, as the immediate risk of a bigger U.S.-Iran conflict continued to fade, easing worries about potential global supply disruptions. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery fell by 96 cents, or 1.6%, to settle at $58.08 a barrel. March Brent crude lost 78 cents, or 1.2%, to $64.20 a barrel.

The federal government ran a budget deficit of $13.3 billion in December, a drop of just 2% from a year earlier, the Treasury Department said Monday.