Stocks Inch Higher Ahead of Yellen Speech; Christine Lagarde Found Guilty in Negligence Case

Summary: U.S. stocks kicked off a quiet trading week to the upside, as investors awaited remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen. Yellen is speaking at the University of Baltimore. These are her first remarks since announcing a rate hike at last week's Fed meeting. Yellen is expected to discuss the job market in the speech. A French court found International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde guilty in a negligence case, though she won't be receiving a sentence. The accusations came when Lagarde was finance minister in France. Under her tenure, a business tycoon received a 403 million euro payout. Lennar shares rose in premarket trading after reporting earnings of $1.34 a share, topping estimates of $1.28. Revenue gained 15% to $3.38 billion, eclipsing estimates of $3.3 billion. The company's CEO Stuart Miller is optimistic about the potential for stimulus and tax cuts from the incoming Trump administration. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.