Key points:

  • The main U.S. indices rise slightly; the S&P 500, about ~0.55%

  • The commodities sector leads the gains of the S&P 500; consumer and energy sectors decline

  • The Euro STOXX 600 index rises by about ~0.4%

  • The dollar and crude oil fall; bitcoin and gold rise >2%

  • The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury falls to about ~4.21%

WALL STREET STARTS THE WEEK UP WITH SOME TECHNOLOGY STOCKS ON THE RISE

The main U.S. stock indices trade higher in the early Monday session, with several leading technology-related companies, including Apple AAPL, set to report their quarterly results this week.

Apple's shares are rising, and the S5INFT technology sector is among those leading the gains in the S&P 500 SPX.

Shares of gold mining companies are also rising, with gold reaching a record high of over $5,000 per ounce. Shares of Gold Fields GFI, which are traded in the U.S., are up more than 7%.

Investors are also anxiously awaiting the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates this week, as the central bank will begin its two-day monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The Fed is expected to keep rates steady.

Apple's shares are up 2.1%, while those of Microsoft MSFT, which will also report results this week, are up 0.8%. Investors are concerned whether the tech sector's profits will be strong enough to support the high valuations of the group.