Stocks Ended Higher, but Posted Monthly Losses

U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, as investors focused on the prospects of a new round of economic stimulus. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 329.04 points, or 1.20%, to 27,781.70. The S&P 500 gained 27.53 points, or 0.83%, to 3,363.00. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 82.26 points, or 0.74%, to 11,167.51. For the month, Dow was down 2.3%, S&P 500 fell 3.9% and the Nasdaq slid 5.2%. For the quarter, the Dow was up 7.6%, the S&P 500 rose 8.5% and the Nasdaq gained 11%.

U.S. oil futures settled higher Wednesday after U.S. government data showed a third consecutive weekly decline in domestic crude supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude for November delivery rose 93 cents, or 2.4%, to settle at $40.22 a barrel. November Brent crude, which expired at the end of the day’s regular trading, edged down by 8 cents, or 0.2%, at $40.95 a barrel.