US stocks start 2018 with gains as technology leads again

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are starting the new year higher thanks in part to gains in technology and health care companies, some of the market's biggest winners from 2017. Retailers are up as well. Natural gas prices are rising as cold weather continues to grip much of the U.S. Bond yields are also rising. Asian stocks climbed following strong economic data from China.

KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 17 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,691 as of 11:10 a.m. Eastern time as investors got back to trading following a break for New Year's Day on Monday. The S&P 500 is once again trading around record highs after its 19 percent climb in 2017. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 65 points, or 0.3 percent, to 24,784.