Wall Street is starting August with more gains, and U.S. stocks are climbing in early Monday trading following encouraging reports from around the world on the economy, AP reported. The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 215 points, or 0.8%, at 26,643, as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern time, and the gains for tech stocks helped the Nasdaq composite jump 1.3%. Many competing currents are pushing the market in different directions, but the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the economy remain the most forceful.