After The Bell: Stocks Close Higher As NASDAQ Posts Record For Third Straight Session

By Andy Giersher

(CBS) -- Stocks closed slightly higher on Monday, with the NASDAQ eking out another record, as investors digested quarterly earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average added 14, the S&P 500 gained 2 and the NASDAQ closed up 9, settling to an all-time closing high of 5,218.86.

"China and Greece are in the rear-view mirror and earnings have become the key focus right now," says Susan Schmidt, Head of US Equities at Mesirow Financial. "I'm looking to see what CEOs are saying about the business climate and what small banks are saying about loan demand to gauge the health of the overall economy."

She added that small and regional bank stocks appear to be attractive at current levels.

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