U.S. stocks closed modestly higher Monday on strong data in the technology sector, which overshadowed concerns about the fiscal cliff. The dollar fell versus the euro, the pound, and the yen. Light sweet crude oil for January delivery dropped 37 cents to $85.56 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures rose $8.90 to $1,714.40. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 14.75, or 0.11 percent, to 13,169.88. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 0.48, or 0.03 percent, to 1,418.55. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index moved up 8.92, or 0.30 percent, to 2,986.96.
