Summary: Stocks held highs ahead of a speech from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. Yellen's insights will be picked apart for clues as to when the central bank could next hike rates after initial liftoff in December. Micro-cap driller Hercules Offshore slid after filing for bankruptcy protection wherein it will put all its assets up for sale. Hercules filed Chapter 11 restructuring plans last month, the terms of which most of its debt holders have accepted. Harley-Davidson was downgraded to neutral from buy at Goldman Sachs. The firm said checks suggest that company registration growth has stalled relative to the industry. A $50 price target has been set.
