Stocks edge higher as earnings roll in, natural gas soars

By STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are edging higher after a weak start Monday, as worries about rising interest rates and high inflation keep a lid on Wall Street despite some better-than-expected profit reports from banks. The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in afternoon trading, while the Dow was up 0.2% and Nasdaq rose 0.3%. Stocks have struggled this year as the highest inflation in generations forces the Federal Reserve into a U-turn on the low-interest-rate policies that helped markets soar and the economy to rev in recent years. The price of U.S. natural gas jumped more than 7% and is close to its highest since 2008.