U.S. stocks finished higher on Monday, as the Dow Jones industrial average closed near the 12,000 mark-a level last seen in June of 2008. There were no major U.S. economic reports released on Monday, but the latest readings on consumer confidence, new home sales, and the overall economy is expected this week. In U.S. company news, RadioShack shares tumbled 11.4 percent after the electronics retailer forecast a weak fourth-quarter profit and announced its chief executive Julian Day plans to retire in May. The U.S. dollar rose against the euro but fell against the yen. Light sweet crude oil for March delivery fell $1.24 to $87.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures rose $2.90 to $1,345.50 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 108.68, or 0.9 percent, to 11,980.52. Shares of Halliburton rose 0.6 percent after reporting better-than-expected profits. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 7.49, or 0.6 percent, to 1,290.84. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 28.01, or 1.0 percent, to 2,717.55.
