The markets closed modestly higher with the Dow rising 19 points to 17,949 as crude oil prices rose. Nasdaq gained 19 points to 4,862.

On the upside

Shares of XBiotech (Nasdaq: XBIT) climbed for the eighth day.

Rising natural gas prices lifted shares of Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) and Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX).

Rumors circulated that Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) may be taken private.

On the downside

Investors locked in profits on Great Basin Scientific (Nasdaq: GBSN)

Bank of America/Merrill Lynch downgraded Avery Dennison (NYSE: AVY) from a Buy rating to an Underperform rating.

Shares of Caesars Entertainment (Nasdaq: CZR) dropped after nearly 1,000 workers at rival Trump Taj Mahal went on strike.

In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 5 to 3 on the NYSE and by nearly 5 to 3 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 rose 4 points to 2,102. Bitcoin gained $6 to $664.