U.S. Stocks Rally; Dow Jumps 264 Points

U.S. stocks ended Monday's session with solid gains, as hopes for monetary stimulus form China's central bank and a flurry of acquisition activity boosted confidence. The main indexes recorded their second-straight session of gains. The S&P 500 closed 25.22 points, or 1.2%, higher at 2,086.24. Energy stocks led the gains, rallying more than 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 263.65 points, or 1.5% to 17,976.31. The Nasdaq Composite ended the session up 56.22 points, or 1.2%, to 4,947.44.