NEW YORK: US stocks on Monday finished a choppy day of trade slightly higher as investors weighed the Iraq crisis and merger news ahead of a US Federal Reserve policy decision Wednesday.
At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 5.59 (0.03 percent) at 16,781.33.
The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 1.61 (0.08 percent) to 1,937.77, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 10.45 (0.24 percent) to 4,321.11.
In Iraq, militants battled Iraqi security forces for control of a strategic northern town, while US officials weighed drone strikes against jihadist fighters leading the charge.
Officials said US and Iranian diplomats could discuss cooperating on Iraq on the sidelines of nuclear talks in Vienna.
Meanwhile, companies in the pharmaceuticals, telecommunications and energy sectors announced multi-billion dollar transactions Monday and over the weekend.
David Levy, portfolio manager at Kenjol Capital Management, said investors are waiting for the conclusion of the Fed policy meeting Wednesday, at which policy makers could discuss when to raise benchmark interest rates.
"The market is more or less waiting for the Fed as geopolitical and macroeconomic data come to the forefront this week," he said.
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