Stocks Rise, But Biggest Gains Fade as Market Stays Volatile

U.S. stock indexes finished a bit higher Monday as investors let go of some of their fears about a possible trade war between the U.S. and China. But far bigger gains slipped away as the market suffered a steep afternoon decline.

Stocks climbed higher and higher in the first hours of trading, and at about 2 p.m. the Dow Jones industrial average was up 440 points. That put the market on track to make up almost all of the ground it lost during a big sell-off on Friday. But stocks have repeatedly changed course as investors tried to guess the outcome of the U.S.-China trade dispute, and they did it again Monday afternoon.

Health care companies finished with strong gains, and technology companies like Microsoft and Apple regained some of their recent losses. Banks rose along with interest rates. But industrial and retail companies finished with losses, and smaller companies fared worse than larger ones did.

When companies start to report their first-quarter results later this week, she added, the results are likely to be good.

The S&P 500 index gained 8.69 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,613.16. The S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent last week, with large losses Monday and Friday and strong gains in between.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 46.34 points, or 0.2 percent, to 23,979.10. The Nasdaq composite jumped 35.23 points, or 0.5 percent, to 6,950.34. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks added 1.17 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,514.46.

The Russell index is composed of more U.S.-focused companies that are somewhat less vulnerable to the effects of tariffs, so its moves in response to the recent trade tensions haven’t been as dramatic.

Most of the stocks on the New York Stock Exchange finished lower Monday.

Investors don’t know how the trade dispute might evolve. While President Donald Trump continued to bash America’s trade deals on Twitter Monday, he said the U.S. and China could settle their dispute.

Swiss drugmaker Novartis agreed to buy AveXis for $8.7 billion, or $218 a share, as it aims to become a leader in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. AveXis is studying a treatment for a disorder called spinal muscular atrophy Type 1, which Novartis called the top genetic cause of death in infants.

AveXis climbed $94.55, or 81.6 percent, to $210.46 and Novartis added 87 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $81.07.

Agribusiness company Monsanto jumped $7.29, or 6.2 percent, to $125.15 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice will approve its sale to German conglomerate Bayer.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.78 percent from 2.77 percent late Friday.

Benchmark U.S. crude jumped $1.36, or 2.2 percent, to $63.42 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added $1.54, or 2.3 percent, to $68.65 a barrel London.

Wholesale gasoline rose 3 cents to $1.98 a gallon. Heating oil rose 4 cents to $2 a gallon. Natural gas lost 1 cent to $2.69 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold rose $4 to $1,340.10 an ounce. Silver gained 17 cents to $16.53 an ounce. Copper picked up 2 cents to $3.08 a pound.

The dollar fell to 106.78 yen from 106.85 yen. The euro rose to $1.2322 from $1.2285.

Germany’s DAX rose 0.2 percent and the CAC 40 in France edged up 0.1 percent.