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U.S. stocks rose Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen noted the recent improvement in the U.S. economy during semiannual testimony before Congress. In prepared remarks to the Senate Banking Committee, Ms. Yellen said if the economy keeps improving as the Fed anticipates, the central bank "will at some point begin considering an increase in the target range for the federal funds rate on a meeting-by-meeting basis." Ms. Yellen also said that the Fed's "patient" stance means that it won't raise rates for at least the next couple of meetings, likely holding market expectations for a midyear rate increase. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced buoyed by a rise in Home Depot Inc. shares.

U.S. stocks drifted lower Monday, pulling back from records as a decline in oil prices weighed on energy stocks, dragging S&P 500 energy stocks down 0.6%. The Dow dropped 24 points, or 0.1%, to 18,117. The dollar rose against the euro and edged higher against other currencies on Monday ahead of testimony Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen will provide to Congress on the U.S. economy and interest rates. The euro slid 0.3% to $1.1347. The Wall Street Journal Dollar Index, which weighs the dollar against a basket of highly traded currencies rose 0.2% to 85.57, its highest level since 11 February.

U.S. stocks rose to highs Friday afternoon as the Eurozone approved a four-month extension on Greece's bailout. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 154.67 points, or 0.9%, to 18140.4 and the S&P 500 gained 12.85 points, or 0.6%, to 2110.3, with both indexes hitting intraday records. The Nasdaq Composite added 31.27 points, or 0.6%, to 4956.0, its eighth-straight rise.

U.S. stocks slipped Thursday, but pared their early losses, as investors focused on negotiations over Greece's bailout and a renewed selloff in oil prices. The Dow fell 44 points, or 0.2%, to 17985 in afternoon trading. The S&P 500 index eased two points, or 0.1%, to 2097. The Nasdaq Composite gained 18 points, or 0.4%, to 4925. Investors continued to monitor developments in Europe after Germany rebuffed a request by Greece to extend its bailout, set to expire at the end of February. Greece and its creditors have been in negotiations for weeks over the broad terms of new financing for the country, though most investors expect a deal will emerge that keeps Greece in the eurozone. The US dollar edged higher against the euro and the yen on Thursday after a report showed fewer Americans filed for jobless claims, pointing to a strengthening U.S. labor market.

U.S. stocks fell lower Wednesday after Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed officials haven't agreed on a plan for when and how quickly to raise interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 40 points, or 0.2%, to 18008, the S&P 500 slipped four points, or 0.2%, to 2097, and the Nasdaq Composite Index lost one point to 4899.

Stocks edged higher in afternoon trading, as investors kept an eye on talks between Greece and its creditors. The S&P 500 rose 3 points, or 0.2%, to 2,100, reversing an early loss and putting the benchmark on track for its second straight all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 28 points, or 0.2%, to 18,048.

The US was closed for President’s Day and focus last night was on Greece. Talks among euro-zone finance ministers over a new financing arrangement for Greece broke down abruptly Monday, demonstrating a wide gulf between Athens and its official creditors and triggering a period of high uncertainty about Greece's future inside the currency bloc.

The S&P 500 has closed at a fresh record high, while the Dow ended above 18,000 for the first time in 2015 following good economic data out of Germany. The broad-based S&P 500 gained 8.51 points (0.41 per cent) at 2,096.99, almost 6.5 points above the prior record set December 29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46.97 (0.26 per cent) to 18,019.35, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 36.22 (0.75 per cent) to 4,893.84.

U.S. stocks climbed Thursday, buoyed by sharp gains in European markets and strong results from Dow component Cisco Systems Inc. Stocks got an early lift from advancing European markets after French and German leaders brokered a deal to end Ukraine's conflict with Russia-backed separatists. Germany's DAX index gained 1.6%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 index added 0.7%. Meanwhile, Eurozone finance ministers vowed to continue negotiations after six-hour talks failed to find a way to resolve Greece's financial issues. U.S. consumer spending slumped for a second straight month, damping market expectations that the Federal Reserve might move up its timeline for raising interest rates.

Wall Street stocks have finished little changed as investors eyed key Brussels talks on Greece's demands to renegotiate its international bailout as the risk of a debt default looms. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,862, down 7 points, and the broad-based S&P 500 was steady at 2,069, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 14 point to reach 4,801.