us stocks were flat to slightly higher early monday with the sp 500 on the verge of exiting a bear market as expectations firm that the federal reserve will not raise interest rates this month seesp 500 nears bearmarket exit will big techs rally finally spread to the broader stock market the sp 500 on monday was looking to consolidate having rallied in recent sessions on the removal of fears of a us debt default and on hopes that the labor market is showing an economy that can avoid a sharp slowdown in the face of the federal reserves inflation battle the wall street barometer surged 145 on friday after data showed the us created net 339000 jobs in may much more than expected but with cooling wage growth and a rising unemployment rate that may allow the fed to pause its ratehiking cycle in june markets powered ahead at the end of the week with investors reacting to both the avoidance of a us debt default and a selectively positive nonfarm payrolls report said richard hunter head of markets at interactive investor stephen innes managing partner at spi asset management said markets appear poised to ride last weeks upward momentum as bubbly risk appetite finds a comfort pillow in hopes for a us soft landing after congress approved a debt ceiling deal and as bullish sentiment coalesces around june skip by the fed traders are now pricing in a 78 chance that the fed will leave interest rates unchanged at a range of 5 to 525 after its meeting on june 14 the us markets jump to fresh highs for the year triggered a positive start to the week in asia where sentiment was also supported by news that chinas services sector grew by more than expected in may a rise in oil prices after saudi arabia said it would trim its production by 1 million barrels a day seemed to be having little impact on broader market sentiment us financials may be in focus later after the wall street journal reported that big banks may face a 20 increase in capital requirements as regulators look to shore up the sector in the wake of regionalbank failures earlier in the year us economic updates set for release on monday include the sp us services pmi for may at 945 am eastern time followed at 10 am by factory orders for april and the ism services report for may this content was created by marketwatch which is operated by dow jones  co marketwatch is published independently from dow jones newswires and the wall street journal