Wall St rises slightly, European shares end lower

US stocks ended slightly higher on Monday in a light-volume session as investors stayed cautious ahead of corporate earnings and key auctions for European debt this week.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 32.62 points, or 0.26 percent, to 12,392.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 2.89 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,280.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 2.34 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,676.56.

European shares fell in thin trade, with banking stocks among the worst movers led by UniCredit as it commenced its rights issue, while worries about the start of the US earnings season also weighed.

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares provisionally closed down 0.4 percent at 1,009.35 points.