US stocks edge higher as home-builder hopes rise

US stocks closed slightly higher as investors weigh mixed news on the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 67 points, or 0.4%, to end at 17,545 on Monday. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 10 points, or 0.5%, to 2,102. The Nasdaq composite climbed 43 points, or 0.9%, to 5,091.