Disney, Apple advance helps lift US stocks

New York - Gains by Disney, Apple and some other large equities helped lift US stocks into positive territory on Monday ahead of earnings from Wal-Mart Stores and Federal Reserve meeting minutes.

At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17 545.75, up 68.35 points (0.39%).

The broad-based S&P 500 rose 10.96 (0.52%) to 2 102.50, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 43.46 (0.86%) to 5 091.70

Disney rose 1.8% following a weekend presentation on plans to add to theme parks attractions from the wildly popular "Star Wars" movie franchise.

Dow members Apple and McDonald's rose 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively.

Highlights this week include Wal-Mart earnings on Tuesday and Wednesday's release of Fed minutes, which could shed light on the US central bank's timing for an interest rate increase, expected later this year.