U.S. stocks drifted ahead of a momentous week full of potential flashpoints, while oil prices climbed and Treasury yields dropped

ByThe Associated Press

U.S. stocks drifted ahead of a momentous week full of potential flashpoints, while oil prices climbed and Treasury yields dropped.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% Monday, even though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.3%.

Beyond Election Day in the United States on Tuesday, the Federal Reserve will also be meeting on interest rates later this week. Investors also hope the Chinese government may announce stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy. Crude prices rose after oil-producing nations delayed planned increases to their production.

On Monday:

The S&P 500 fell 16.11 points, or 0.3%, to 5,712.69.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 257.59 points, or 0.6%, to 41,794.60.

The Nasdaq composite fell 59.93 points, or 0.3%, to 18,179.98.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 8.90 points, or 0.4%, to 2,219.03.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 942.86 points, or 19.8%.

The Dow is up 4,105.06 points, or 10.9%.

The Nasdaq is up 3,168.63 points, or 21.1%.

The Russell 2000 is up 191.96 points, or 9.5%.