Stocks fell in early trading after quarterly results from aluminum producer Alcoa Inc. missed expectations. Major indexes later poked higher as traders jockeyed for position ahead of earnings from leading chipmaker Intel Corp., which reported strong results after the closing bell.
By the close, the Dow had tacked on about 13 points. The Dow on Monday finished above the psychological benchmark of 11,000 for the first time in a year and a half.
The results from Alcoa brought a disappointing start to the flow of earnings reports from the January-March quarter. But analysts said the company's performance didn't provide a good indication of how other companies would do.
RelatedMoney and Markets page with latest developmentsThe stock market has been rising for 13 months on signs that the economy is improving. But some analysts are concerned that the rise has come too quickly.
Since major stock indexes hit 12-year lows last year, there have been five pullbacks of as much as 8 percent in the Standard & Poor's 500 index. None has topped the 10 percent mark that would signify a correction.
There have been few drops in the past two months. Instead, stocks have been notching a string of gains.
According to preliminary calculations, the Dow rose 13.45, or 0.1 percent, to 11,019.42. The S&P 500 index rose 0.82, or 0.1 percent, to 1,197.30, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 8.12, or 0.3 percent, to 2,465.99.
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