Stocks Ended Higher as Coronavirus Lockdowns Began to Ease

U.S. stocks ended sharply higher on Monday, as several European countries, and some U.S. states, began or outlined plans to begin lifting lockdowns put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 358.51 points, or 1.51%, to 24,133.78. The S&P 500 advanced 41.74 points, or 1.47%, to 2,878.48. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 95.64 points, or 1.11%, to 8,730.16.

U.S. oil futures posted a loss of almost 25% on Monday as reignited concerns about a scarcity of places to put an overflow of crude sent the June contract to its second-lowest settlement on record. June WTI crude lost $4.16, or 24.6%, to settle at $12.78 a barrel. June Brent crude declined by $1.45, or 6.8%, at $19.99 a barrel.