Stocks are gaining ground in early trading on Wall Street, building on a strong start to the year ahead of this week's highly anticipated update on inflation and corporate earnings reports. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% after the open Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq also rose. Technology stocks and retailers made solid gains. Bond yields were mixed and crude oil prices rose. Markets in Asia were mixed overnight and European markets gained ground. The next potentially market-moving event is Thursday's consumer inflation report for December. Several big companies, including Bank of America and Delta Air Lines, are scheduled to report earnings on Friday.
