U.S. stocks headed cautiously higher on Monday as investors looked ahead to European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve monetary policy moves, with both central banks expected to reveal easier-money initiatives in coming days.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average  rose 81 points, or 0.3%, to 26,859, while the S&P 500 index  gained 5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,984. The Nasdaq Composite Index  added 14 points, or 0.2%, to 8,117.

Last week, the Dow saw a 1.5% rise, while the S&P advanced 1.8% and the Nasdaq posted a 1.8% weekly advance. The gains left the S&P 500 1.6% below its all-time closing high of 3,025.86 set on July 26, while the Dow ended Friday off 2.1% from its record of 27,359.16 set on July 15. The Nasdaq ended last week off 2.7% from its all-time closing high of 8,330.21 set on July 26.

Source : Market Watch