4 Standouts on the 4th Consecutive Day of Dow Gains

Even with fiscal cliff talks grinding on with no definitive end in sight, markets rose on Monday, with technology stocks emerging as the big winners of the day.

While Erskine Bowles, co-chair of the well-known Bowles-Simpson 2010 debt commission, put the odds of averting the fiscal cliff before the new year at a meager 35%, Cisco Systems and other tech stocks still led the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher. The Dow climbed 14 points, or 0.11%, to close the day at 13,169.

Cisco investors cheered the company's new marketing campaign, titled "Tomorrow Starts Here," intended to show Cisco's focus on innovation and growth moving forward. It led the Dow today with 2.3% gains.

While the top three Dow stocks today were all techies, Home Depot was the index's most abysmal performer, falling more than 2% on a pullback. Shares are up 50% this year in a rapidly revitalizing housing market.

AIG shares are in the spotlight in the aftermarket today. The U.S. Treasury announced that it will liquidate its 16% stake in the massive financial institution, which required upwards of $180 billion from the government in the depths of the recession to stay afloat. The 16% ownership amounts to just over $8 billion in equity, and shares shed more than 1% after hours on the news.

Baidu , China's largest search giant, also got in on the tech rally, tacking on nearly 2.7%. With Google more or less not a major player in China because of significant disagreements with the Chinese government over censorship, Baidu is reaping the rewards. Baidu's local results have also helped it retain market share leads in the rapidly growing Eastern power.

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The article 4 Standouts on the 4th Consecutive Day of Dow Gains originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Divine has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. You can follow him on Twitter, @divinebizkid, and on Motley Fool CAPS, @TMFDivine.The Motley Fool owns shares of AIG, Baidu, and Google and has long JAN 2014 $25.00 calls on AIG. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend AIG, Baidu, Google, and Home Depot. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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