U.S. stocks rose on Monday as a flurry of merger news and solid earnings boosted investors' appetite for equities, pushing the Dow and the S&P 500 to their highest levels since June 2008. Buying accelerated after the S&P 500 broke through the high end of its recent range, suggesting Wall Street has the strength to move the market higher. "What's helping us today are the fundamentals. M&A activities are a good sign for the stock market, and it's a 'feel good' momentum," said Ryan Detrick, senior technical analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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