Stocks Gain for Second Day as Earnings Not as Bad as Feared

Stocks built on Friday’s strength to close higher for a second day in a row. BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 2,114.49, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.3% to 18,070.40. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.2% to 5,016.93. SunTrust’s Keith Lerner notes that S&P 500-company earnings have been much better than expected: With nearly three-quarters [...]