NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Monday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 briefly rising more than 3 percent as investors welcomed signs credit strains were easing and scoured for bargains among beaten-down stocks.
The energy sector led the way higher, buoyed by rising oil prices, stronger-than-expected earnings from oil field services company Halliburton Co and after Oppenheimer & Co raised its rating on a raft of energy companies.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 230.26 points, or 2.60 percent, at 9,082.48. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 26.76 points, or 2.85 percent, at 967.31. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 29.38 points, or 1.72 percent, at 1,740.67.
(Reporting by Kristina Cooke; Editing by Kenneth Barry)