US Stocks Up;Drop in Oil,Retail Data Help By Anupama Chandrasekaran NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Monday after some retailers reported strong holiday sales and as oil prices sunk more than $2 a barrel. Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.O: Quote , Profile , Research ) rose 6.2 percent to $41.36 after the online retailer said its holiday sales season was the busiest ever. Shares of Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI.O: Quote , Profile , Research ) rose 4.5 percent to $8.31 after the subscription radio company said it surpassed its full year 2004 target of 1 million subscribers. But specialty retailer Sharper Image Corp. (SHRP.O: Quote , Profile , Research ) plunged 16.3 percent to $19.38 after the company lowered its fourth-quarter and fiscal-year forecasts. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 17.44 points, or 0.16 percent, at 10,844.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 2.02 points, or 0.17 percent, at 1,212.01. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was up 3.92 points, or 0.18 percent, at 2,164.57. "We have had a mixed bag with Sharper Image not doing well but Sirius has added a lot more consumers and Amazon has done well. Christmas has turned out just as well if not better for most companies," said John O'Donoghue, CSFB managing director of listed trading. A unit of MasterCard International said holiday spending was 8.1 percent higher than last year helped by higher-income customers, according to The Wall Street Journal. High-end retailer Saks Inc. (SKS.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) climbed 1 percent to $14.39. U.S. light crude (CLc1: Quote , Profile , Research ) futures fell $2.03 to $42.15 a barrel, their lowest level in two weeks, as supplies were deemed sufficient to meet winter demand. The decline in oil prices are a relief for investors fearing that higher energy costs will weigh on corporate profits. Shares of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) rose 1.6 percent to $53.40 after the world's largest retailer said it expects sales at its U.S. stores open at least a year to be in the middle of a previously forecast rise of between 1 percent and 3 percent in December. Insurance stocks came under pressure on worries over possible claims after devastating tsunamis killed more than 22,000 in various countries in South and Southeast Asia. Shares of XL Capital Ltd. (XL.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) slipped 0.5 percent to $78.11 and RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd (RNR.N: Quote , Profile , Research ) was down nearly 1 percent to $51.10. Trading volume is expected to be very light in the U.S. equity markets in what has historically been a quiet week for stocks. U.S. markets were shut on Friday for the Christmas holiday. Quelle "US Stocks Up;Drop in Oil,Retail Data Help" : reuters.com Main page for "US Stocks Up;Drop in Oil,Retail Data Help"