US stocks rise at start of busy earnings week

Wall Street stocks rose early Monday as investors started a busy week of company earnings and watched the latest fighting in the US-Iran conflict.

This week's earnings calendar includes reports from Google parent Alphabet, Tesla and General Motors. Companies in the S&P 500 are expected to show nearly 25 percent earnings growth, according to FactSet.

Art Hogan of B. Riley Wealth Management said earnings expectations were higher than they had been in the first quarter, making it more difficult for companies to significantly beat estimates.

About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3 percent at 52,281.20. The S&P 500 gained 0.7 percent to 7,508.48, while the Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.1 percent to 25,788.72.

US gasoline prices rose back above $4, based on a national average published by the American Automobile Association. The increase reflected intensified fighting between the United States and Iran.

Iran's president described the country as being in a full-scale war with the United States after state media and local authorities reported US strikes on Monday in northern and central Iran.