In U.S. stocks, the S&P 500.........>

US STOCKS CLOSE: In U.S. stocks, the S&P 500 closed up 0.15% at 2,503.87, after

trading in a 2,500.90 to 2,508.32 range. The earlier high was a life-time

intraday high and this is a life-time high close.

- At Monday's close, the S&P 500 was up 11.8% year-to-date.

- Market players were also monitoring the Russell 2000 index, which often leads

larger stock swings.

- The Russell 2000 closed around 1,441, down from an earlier high of 1,444.269,

which is still below the 1,452.091 life-time high seen July 25.

- Last month, the index bottomed at 1,349.354 on August 18, the lowest level

since April 17, when the Russell 2000 bottomed at 1,345.363.

- Earlier Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted a new intraday high of

22,352.62 and had a new life-time high close of 22,331.35.

- The Nasdaq Composite closed at 6,454.64. The index peaked at a new life-time

intraday high of 6,477.767 earlier and this was a new life-time closing higher.