U.S. stocks finished lower on Monday, as investors awaited a Greek government decision on budget cuts that are key to securing a second financial aid package to avoid default. In world economic news, European stocks ended lower, with the declines led by the CAC 40 in France falling 0.5 percent. Asian markets ended mixed, as the Nikkei in Japan rose 1.1 percent and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 0.2 percent. In Europe, Greece's leaders are frantically trying to reach a deal on austerity measures and financial reforms necessary for a $170 billion aid package from the European Union, International Monetary Fund, and European Central Bank. The U.S. dollar rose against the euro and rose against the yen. Light sweet crude oil for March delivery fell 65 cents to $97.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures fell $15.10 to $1,722.80 an ounce. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 17.1, or 0.1 percent, to 12,845.13. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.57, or 0.04 percent, to 1,344.33. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 3.67, or 0.1 percent, to 2,901.99.
