NEW YORK – Stocks extended their rally into a third week Monday as investors sent bank stocks higher following new global regulatory requirements and China's economy continued its robust growth.
A round of corporate dealmaking also gave a lift to stocks. Hewlett-Packard Co. said it will purchase security software provider ArcSight Inc. Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. said it accepted Hertz Global Holdings Inc.'s acquisition offer. Acquisitions are often a sign that companies are confident the economy is going to expand soon.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 100 points in late morning trading. If it holds onto gains Monday, it would be the eighth time in nine days the index rose.
Global regulators agreed to reforms that could help avoid another credit crisis that plagued financial markets worldwide in 2008 and early 2009. Banks will gradually have to increase their reserves to protect against potential losses.
"The agreement itself was a little lighter than expected," said Mitch Schlesinger, managing director at FBB Capital. But because reserve requirements will be rolled out slowly and not be quite as strong as expected, it reduces short-term worries that banks would have to further cut back on lending and raise new cash quickly to meet new standards, Schlesinger said.
The new regulations have added to confidence in Europe's banks, which have been slower than their U.S. counterparts to bolster reserves. European markets rose sharply Monday. Confidence in European banks was shaken early last week as investors questioned whether they could absorb potential losses on risky government debt.
Fresh signs of strong economic expansion in China also added to market strength Monday. New economic reports showed growth in the world's second-largest economy continues to accelerate at a time when economists were expecting it to slow. Strong growth in China is considered vital to a global recovery because if demand remains high there, it will offset sluggish growth in the U.S. where economic expansion is not as strong.
The Dow rose 102.09, or 1 percent, to 10,564.86 in late morning trading.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 14.23, or 1.3 percent, to 1,123.78, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 39.63, or 1.8 percent, to 2,282.11.
More than six stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 225.4 million shares. Trading volume picked up as traders return from summer vacations and recent holidays. Volume in recent weeks had been extremely light, even by summer standards.
Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1.2 percent, Germany's DAX index gained 1.1 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 1.4 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average climbed 0.9 percent.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. were among the biggest U.S. gainers in the financial sector. JPMorgan Chase rose $1.46, or 3.7 percent, to $41.22, while Bank of America rose 42 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $13.97.
Hewlett-Packard, which has been buying up smaller companies in recent months, will pay $1.5 billion, or $43.50 per share, in cash for ArcSight.
Hertz agreed to pay $1.43 billion, or $50 per share, for Dollar Thrifty, beating out competitor Avis Budget Group Inc. in a bidding war to acquire the rival rental car company.
Genzyme Corp. said it will sell its genetic testing business to Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings for $925 million. The sale comes after Genzyme rebuffed an $18.5 billion takeover bid from French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis.
Andrew Neale, a portfolio manager at Fogel Neale Partners said the acquisitions activity is "crucial for investors" because when companies are confident and investing money, it adds to investor confidence.
ArcSight jumped $8.82, or 25.1 percent, to $43.92, while Hewlett-Packard rose 4 cents to $38.24.
Dollar Thrifty rose $2.50, or 5.2 percent, to $50.51, while Hertz rose 51 cents, or 5.1 percent, to $10.56. Avis Budget rose 53 cents, or 5.2 percent, to $10.75.
Laboratory Corp. of America fell $1.96, or 2.6 percent, to $74.69. Genzyme fell 30 cents to $70.49. Sanofi-Aventis rose 57 cents to $31.55.
Oil prices continued to rise as a leak in a pipeline that supplies oil to refineries in the Midwest remains closed. Benchmark crude rose $1.43 to $77.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Treasury prices traded in a narrow range. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 2.80 percent from 2.79 late Friday. Its yield is often used to help set interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans.
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