Stocks End Higher, Small-Cap Rally

Stocks ended higher on Monday, led by a rally in small-cap companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 16.05 points, or 0.10%, to 16,569.98. The S&P 500 rose 5.33 points, or 0.28%, to 1,936.91. The Nasdaq Composite was up 30.43 points, or 0.70%, to 4,401.33.

Kinder Morgan Inc. made a splash Monday, saying it would consolidate all four  companies under its control, and the euphoria among investors was universal, as all four stocks shot up.
The U.S. jobs environment has picked up steam this year, and data details to be released Tuesday. The U.S. Labor Department will release the jobs-openings data at 10 a.m. Eastern.

The U.S. Postal Service boosted its revenue through price increases and a continued focus on package-shipping, but still ended the third quarter with a $1.96 billion loss.

Federal authorities announced Monday that Kansas has agreed settle a securities fraud charge accusing the state of misleading investors about the financial health of its public employee pension system in 2009 and 2010 — at the time the second-worst underfunded system of its kind in the nation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Monday that it will begin fielding complaints from bitcoin users. The agency also issued an advisory warning about the risks to consumers who use bitcoin.