Stock Market Starts Second Half And July Mostly In The Green

U.S. stocks ended Monday's abbreviated trade firmly higher, but off its best levels of the day, buoyed by gains in energy and bank stocks. Extended weakness in the technology sector capped gains for the broader market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished with a climb of 0.6% to close at 21,479, but the blue-chip benchmark ended off the all-time intraday high set during the session of 21,562.75, pressured by declines in Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp. . The S&P 500 index gained 0.2%, but a 0.9% drop in technology shares limited a 2% rise in the energy sector --its best one-day rally since June 9, according to FactSet Data. The Nasdaq Composite Index closed off 0.5% at 6,110. Crude-oil prices gained on the day, marking the longest win streak in more than seven years. The New York Stock Exchange ended trading at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.