Stocks edge higher as Syria, oil worries linger

8/28/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — The stock market closed slightly higher today as investors wait for news on the standoff with Syria.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 48 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 14,824 today.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose four points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,634. The Nasdaq composite rose 14 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,593.

Energy companies were the biggest gainers on the S&P 500 after the price of crude oil rose to the highest level in more than two years.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.78 percent from 2.71 percent the day before.

More stocks rose than fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was lighter than average at 2.7 billion shares.