U.S. stocks closed at their highest level in 10 weeks on Monday and the S&P 500 pierced key technical levels as a weaker U.S. dollar lifted the energy and raw materials sectors.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 208.44 points, or 1.99 percent, to 10,674.38. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index advanced 24.26 points, or 2.20 percent, to 1,125.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 40.66 points, or 1.80 percent, to 2,295.36.
Trading volume was light as many investors decided to wait for Friday's report on July U.S. employment. The Toronto stock market was closed for a public holiday.
Strong results in Europe from BNP Paribas SA and HSBC Plc added to the upbeat tone and lifted U.S. bank stocks. JPMorgan Chase & Co rose 3.4 percent to $41.64 (U.S.) and the KBW Bank index gained 3.2 percent.
The falling U.S. dollar set off a 3 percent jump in crude prices, which, coupled with BP’s attempt to permanently cap its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, sent energy shares soaring.
Macondo-linked companies rallied, with Transocean Ltd up 9.6 percent to $50.68. The Philadelphia exchange oil services sector index climbed 4.5 percent.
Crude futures settled above $81 per barrel for the first time since early May. The S&P energy sector jumped 3.6 percent.
Raw materials also rose and the Reuters/Jefferies CRB commodity index hit a three-month high. Dow component and aluminum company Alcoa Inc advanced 4.8 percent to $11.71.
The 90-day correlation between the CRB and S&P 500 is currently .85, up dramatically from the 0.33 range in early May. Many investors reason rising raw material prices bodes well for global demand prospects.
The S&P 500 closed the session above its 200-day moving average and the 1,121 level, the midpoint of the slide from its historic high reached in October 2007 and the 12-year low hit in March 2009, which has been viewed as a key resistance level. The benchmark has not been able to close above this 50 percent retracement since mid-May.
The CBOE Volatility Index fell below its 200-day moving average, suggesting some of the near-term fear on the market has diminished. But options activity on VIX futures show that traders continue to anticipate higher volatility. Since the beginning of May, the VIX has closed below its 200-day MA only twice, both times occurring last week.
Further boosting stocks, the Institute for Supply Management said the U.S. manufacturing sector grew at a faster rate than expected in July. The government reported construction spending unexpectedly rose in June..
