U.S. stocks closed higher Monday, as financials, technology, and consumer discretionary stocks increased roughly 1 percent. The dollar was lower against a basket of currencies. Light sweet crude oil for January delivery rose 0.21 percent to $51.79 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while gold futures lost $1.30 to $1,176.50 per ounce.The Dow Jones industrial average added 45.89, or 0.24 percent, to 19,216.31. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index increased 12.76, or 0.58 percent, to 2,204.71. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 53.24, or 1.01 percent, to 5,308.89.