US shares were firm at midsession on Monday after a broad-based gain and headwinds from higher banking stocks.
The S&P 500 index was up 0.7% to 2,183 and only around 10 points off its record high struck earlier this month.
Banking stocks benefited from re-pricing after last Friday the US Federal Reserve put a September rate hike back on the table when vice chair Stanley Fischer elaborated following a speech by his boss Janet Yellen. JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) shares were up 1.2% at $67.02 and Citigroup (NYSE:C) up 0.7% to $47.42 and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) up 0.8% to $15.92.
The S&P Midcap 400 was also higher, by 0.9% to 1,574 and the S&P Smallcap 600 up 0.8% to 757 and led by Cloud Peak Energy Inc (NYSE:CLD) on no fresh news.