Stocks post slim gains Monday

New York stocks bulldozed their way out of early losses Monday with help from Caterpillar. Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar posted third-quarter profits that beat expectations, helping the Dow Jones industrial average to muscle itself out of a 108-point loss and break away from a two-day slump that included giving up 295 points on Friday, which happened to be the 25th anniversary of Black Monday. By close of trading Monday, the Dow added 2.38 or 0.02 percent to 13,345.89. The Nasdaq composite index, off 9.28 points at midday, closed with a gain of 11.33 points or 0.38 percent to 3,016.96. The Standard and Poor's 500 index added 0.63 points or 0.04 percent to 1,433.82. On the New York Stock Exchange, 1,448 stocks advanced and 1,549 declined on a volume of 3.1 billion shares traded. The benchmark 10-year treasury note fell 13/32 to yield 1.818 percent. The euro rose to $1.3066 from Friday's $1.3023. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 79.92 yen from 79.32 yen. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index added 0.09 percent, 8.03 points, to 9,010.71. In London, the FTSE 100 index gave up 0.22 percent, 13.24, to 5,882.91.