Stocks Ended at Record Highs, Oil Prices Settled Higher

U.S. stocks ended at record highs on Monday, as investor optimism over another round of fiscal stimulus out of Washington helped boost U.S. equities over the past week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 237.52 points, or 0.76%, to 31,385.76. The S&P 500 added 28.76 points, or 0.74%, to 3,915.59. The Nasdaq Composite gained 131.35 points, or 0.95%, to 13,987.64.

Oil prices settled higher on Monday, with the Brent crude prices rising above $60 a barrel for the first time in over a year, boosted by pandemic-recovery optimism and expectations for the passage of the latest U.S. economic stimulus package. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery rose $1.12, or 2%, to settle at $57.97 a barrel. April Brent crude climbed by $1.22, or 2.1%, to settle at $60.56 a barrel.