Apple deal with Chinese firm lifts tech stocks and market

NEW YORK - Stocks rose in quiet trading Monday as investors start to close the books on 2013.

Apple helped lift technology stocks after the company reached a deal to sell the iPhone to China's largest wireless carrier.

The market has been moving broadly higher since Wednesday, when the Federal Reserve said it would start pulling back on its stimulus program next month as the U.S. economy improves. Last week, the government also raised its estimate for third-quarter economic growth to 4.1 percent, the fastest pace since 2011.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 73.47 points, or 0.45 percent, to 16,294.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 9.67 points, or 0.53 percent, to 1,827.99. The Nasdaq composite rose 44.16 points, or 1.08 percent, to 4,148.90.

Apple rose $21.07, or 4 percent, to $570.09 after the company reached a deal with China Mobile, the world's largest cellphone provider, to sell the iPhone in the world's most populous country. The iPhone is already sold through two smaller carriers there. Technology stocks in the S&P 500 rose 1.5 percent, more than twice as much as the broader index.

Trading was very light ahead of the Christmas holiday. Just 2.8 billion shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange, well below the recent average of 3.4 billion.

Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market will be closed Wednesday for Christmas. Both exchanges will also close at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The S&P 500 index has increased 28 percent so far this year - 30 percent when dividends are included - putting it on track for its biggest annual gain since 1997.

Retailer Jos. A. Bank rejected a $1.5 billion buyout offer from Men's Wearhouse. The rivals have made offers to buy each other in recent months, only to be rejected by the other party. Bank fell 74 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $56.29 and Men's Wearhouse fell 38 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $51.63.

Facebook rose $2.65, or 5 percent, to $57.77. The social network was added to the S&P 500 effective Monday. Fund managers who replicate indexes like the S&P 500 are required to purchase stocks in a company when one is added.

Bond prices fell slightly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.93 percent from 2.89 percent.

Gold fell $6.70, or 0.6 percent, to $1,197 an ounce. Gold has slumped 29 percent this year and is headed for its first annual loss since 2000. Traders have dumped gold as the fear that the Federal Reserve's easy-money policies would cause inflation dissipated.