Stocks log longest winning streak in six months

NEW YORK – The stock market logged its longest winning streak in six months Monday as another big week for company earnings began.

Halliburton, an oil and gas drilling company, rose after reporting a first-quarter profit on rising revenue in the Middle East and Asia. Toymaker Hasbro gained after saying it returned to profitability in its first quarter. A strong earnings report from Netflix pushed the company’s stock higher in after-hours trading.

Close to a third of the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index are scheduled to report first-quarter earnings this week, giving investors a better picture about the outlook for demand after the economy’s winter slump. Stocks logged their best weekly gain since July last week as companies started reporting their earnings.

The S&P 500 index rose 7.04 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,871.89. The index has risen five straight days, its longest streak of gains since October.