US stock indexes close modestly lower as energy prices fall

Major U.S. stock indexes closed modestly lower Monday, with some of the biggest declines coming in oil and gas companies as energy prices turned lower.

Companies that rely on consumer spending also lost ground. Utilities and telecom stocks, which pay large dividends, bucked the downward trend as bond yields fell.

Investors had their eye on corporate earnings. Some 80 of the companies in the Standa...