Stocks Opened with Solid Gains

U.S. stocks opened with solid gains on Monday, shaking off geopolitical worries. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately rose 65.66 points, or 0.25%, to 20,518.91. The S&P 500 rose 5.88 points, or 0.25%, to 2,334.83. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 14.68 points, or 0.25%, to 5,819.83.

Crude futures prices fell Monday, giving back some recent gains as analysts pointed to signs of a continued uptick in U.S. output.
Light, sweet crude futures for delivery in May fell 34 cents, or 0.6%, to $52.84 a barrel. June Brent crude fell 33 cents, or 0.6%, to $55.56 a barrel.

China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter as higher government infrastructure spending and a gravity-defying property boom helped boost industrial output by the most in over two years. Growth of 6.9 percent was the fastest in six quarters, with forecast-beating March investment, retail sales and exports all suggesting the economy may carry solid momentum into spring.