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Energy and financial stocks pushed US equities higher on Monday, on the eve of U.S. midterm elections to determine whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party retains control of the US Congress and ahead of a meeting of Federal Reserve policy makers.
Choppy trading in oil left prices mixed after five days of heavy losses as the United States imposed a range of sanctions aimed at curbing oil exports by Iran.
The Trump administration's decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran's exports lifted oil prices for much of the day, boosting many US shares. But the Nasdaq index fell, pressured by slumping shares of Apple and Amazon. Nikkei reported Apple has told two smartphone assemblers to halt plans for additional production lines dedicated to the lower-cost iPhone XR.
Investors were also cautious ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Opinion polls show the Democratic Party could win control of the House of Representatives after two years of wielding no practical political power in Washington, with Republicans likely to hold the Senate.
“What's spooking the market is not Congress or Senate,” said Gregory Perdon, co-chief investment officer at Arbuthnot Latham, ”what's spooking the market is the volatility of Trump,” which might not be tempered by any change in Congress.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 190.87 points, or 0.76 per cent, to 25,461.7, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 15.25 points, or 0.56 per cent, to 2,738.31 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 28.14 points, or 0.38 per cent, to 7,328.85.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 0.16 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.10 per cent.
Emerging market stocks rose 2.60 per cent.
Oil prices fell, despite Washington's temporary exemption to eight countries allowing them to keep buying Iranian oil amid sanctions.
Brent crude futures settled at $73.17 per barrel, up 34 cents or 0.47 percent. U.S. crude oil futures settled at $63.10 per barrel, down 4 cents or 0.06 percent.
U.S. Treasury yields were lower as investors covered short positions ahead of midterm elections and braced for $83 billion worth of government debt supply tied to the November refunding this week.
With the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, investors were also concerned about prospects for tighter U.S. monetary policy after strong economic data.
Benchmark 10-year notes last rose 3/32 in price to yield 3.2027 per cent, from 3.214 per cent late on Friday.
The 30-year bond last rose 11/32 in price to yield 3.4353 percent, from 3.454 percent late on Friday.
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