US stocks close higher as investors await earnings season US stocks floated higher to close in the black, erasing early losses as investors waited for the unofficial kickoff of earnings-reporting season and possible policy signals from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 48.23 points, or 0.33 per cent, to 14613.48. The Dow had been down as much as 67.45 points at its intraday low. The blue chips have posted bounces in the final minutes of trading every day this month.