US stocks closed unchanged

U.S. stocks fluctuated between gains and losses, following the biggest two-day gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index since January, after S&P boosted its outlook for America.

The S&P 500 (SPX) added 0.1% to 1,645.30, after sliding as much as 0.3% earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 9.79 points, or 0.1%, to 15,257.91.

U.S. equities rose last week as U.S. companies added more workers to payrolls than economists forecast, signaling the economy continues to expand. The U.S.’s AA+ credit rating outlook was increased today to stable from negative by Standard & Poor’s, which cited receding fiscal risks. S&P, the world’s largest credit rater, cut the U.S. ranking from AAA in August 2011, contributing to a global stock-market rout and sending yields on Treasury bonds to record lows.

Fed Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said inflation below the central bank’s 2 percent target warrants prolonging the “aggressive” use of bond buying to spur growth and bring down unemployment.

McDonald’s Corp. climbed 1.4% on better-than-estimated sales growth in May as the Dollar Menu and breakfast items helped drive the U.S. business. Monsanto Co. jumped 4.4% after Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its rating on the world’s largest seed company to outperform. Homebuilders slumped as bond yields surged and JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its rating on Lennar Corp.

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