New York  - US stocks regained ground on Monday ahead of third-quarter earnings reports set to begin later this week.

The markets ended a four-day losing streak, prompted by ongoing concerns about unemployment. A government report Friday showed a net loss of 263,000 jobs in September. US unemployment is now at 9.8 per cent, up from 9.7 per cent unemployment in August and the highest rate since 1983.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average added 112.08 points, or 1.18 per cent, to 9,599.75. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 15.25 points, or 1.49 per cent, to 1,040.46. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index gained 20.04 points, or 0.98 per cent, to 2,068.15.

The US currency slipped Friday to 68.27 euro cents from 68.61 euro cents on Friday. The dollar fell against the Japanese currency to 89.51 yen from 89.81 yen. (Dpa)