North American stocks rose at the start of trading on Monday, boosted by strong quarterly earnings from Caterpillar Inc.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 19 points or 0.2 per cent, to 11,223. The broader S&P 500 rose 1 point or 0.1 per cent, to 1,218.
Caterpillar rose 3.9 per cent after the heavy equipment maker reported a profit of $233-million (U.S.) or 36 cents a share in the first quarter, beating analysts' expectations on a per-share basis after some costs were excluded. The company also raised its full-year forecasts.
Whirlpool Corp. surged 14.6 per cent after the appliance maker's first quarter results doubled, also beating expectations.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX composite index rose 30 points or 0.2 per cent, to 12,269.
Energy stocks generally moved higher after the price of crude oil remained above $85 a barrel, relatively unchanged. Suncor Energy Inc. rose 0.4 per cent and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. rose 0.5 per cent.
David Berman