U.S. stocks started the new year with a modest rebound from the worst December rout since the Depression. Oil rallied as Saudi Arabia cut exports.
The S&P 500 Index ended an up-and-down session higher by three points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a gain and the Nasdaq indexes climbed. Banks rallied, and energy producers surged after a report that Saudi Arabia lowered oil exports fueled a surge in the price of crude. Stocks with high dividend yields fell the most as the 10-year Treasury yield tumbled. Equities started the day lower on poor sentiment sparked by a weak reading on Chinese manufacturing, which added to concern that global growth is slowing.
