Gains for tech stocks nudge S&P 500 even closer to record

NEW YORK — Wall Street nudged a bit higher on Monday, and the S&P 500 teased even closer to its record high. The benchmark index rose 9.14 points, or 0.3%, to 3,381.99. Earlier in the day, it briefly crossed above its record closing level of 3,386.15, which was set on Feb. 19 before the pandemic shut down businesses worldwide and created the worst recession in decades. It's the third time in the last four trading days the index has risen above that record, only to fade later in the day. Most other U.S. stock indexes also made gains. The Nasdaq composite rose 110.42, or 1%, to 11,129.73, and the smaller stocks in the Russell 2000 index gained 7.59, or 0.5%, to 1,585.47. The Dow Jones...