Wall Street’s major averages closed higher on Monday with economically sensitive sectors and travel-related stocks advancing solidly as investors were encouraged by some optimistic comments from a top U.S. official on the latest COVID-19 variant.
Of Wall Street’s three major averages, the Dow rose the most while industrials and consumer staples, up around 1.6 percent, were the S&P’s strongest sectors followed by energy and utilities, up 1.5 percent. But declines in COVID-19 vaccine companies diminished gains in the health care sector.
