U.S. stocks ended little changed on Monday in the lowest volume so far this year, indicating the equity rally may be near a top.

The S&P 500 edged up, trading near its highest since June 2008, nominally a good sign, but it was stuck in the 1,325-1,333 area without enough buyers to get through this technical hurdle.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 5.07 points, or 0.04 percent, at 12,268.19. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 3.17 points, or 0.24 percent, at 1,332.32. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 7.74 points, or 0.28 percent, at 2,817.18.

Just 6.5 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, the lowest volume so far this year.

(Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Kenneth Barry)

New york city