Stock markets on Monday opened slightly up, continuing their August trend that briefly stalled as Congress punted on a coronavirus relief package.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened up 42 points, or 0.2 percent, and the S&P 500 opened 10 points, or 0.3 percent.
Markets have been on an upward march this month despite the expiration of several key economic measures meant to prop up the economy, such as $600 in additional weekly unemployment insurance.
As negotiations came to a standstill, Congress left town, contributing to a brief pause in the markets’ trajectory. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she would recall the House to vote on a U.S. Postal Service bill this week, raising some hopes that a compromise stimulus measure might also be addressed.
The S&P 500 remains within inches of its February high of 3,386, a threshold it has struggled to break over the past week.