U.S. stocks close higher

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended higher on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 66.69 points, or 0.16 percent, to 42,906.95. The S&P 500 added 43.22 points, or 0.73 percent, to 5,974.07. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 192.29 points, or 0.98 percent, to 19,764.88.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in green, with communication services and technology leading the gainers by going up 1.35 percent and 1.26 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, consumer staples and materials led the laggards by dropping 0.57 percent and 0.12 percent, respectively.