By Victor Reklaitis and Barbara Kollmeyer, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The S&P 500 on Monday climbed to a
record close just shy of 2,000, as U.S. stocks received a lift from
deal activity and hints of more stimulus from the European Central
Bank.
Shares of Burger King Worldwide Inc., Tim Hortons Inc. and
InterMune Inc. surged on merger news, while July new-home sales
came in slightly below expectations, but the government upwardly
revised the June result.
The S&P 500 (SPX) gained 9.52 points, or 0.5%, to end at
1,997.92 after notching an intraday record at 2,001.95. While the
benchmark finished under the milestone level of 2,000, it still
achieved an all-time closing high for the 29th time this year.
All 10 sectors advanced, with financials(XLF) and energy(XLE)
performing best.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) climbed 75.65 points, or
0.4%, to end at 17,076.87, while the Nasdaq Composite (RIXF) jumped
by 18.80 points, or 0.4%, to finish at 4,557.35. The Dow stands
0.4% off its July 16 record close, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq again
scored its highest close since March 31, 2000.
S&P 500 tops 2000: "It's an encouraging thing," said Sam
Stovall, equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ, referring to the
benchmark moving above 2,000 intraday. The index hasn't cleared a
"millennial number" since 1998, when it topped 1,000, he added.
(Read more: How the S&P 500's top 10 changed in the index's
march to 2,000 from 1,000
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2014/08/25/how-the-sp-500s-top-10-changed-in-the-indexs-march-to-2000-from-1000/.)
Stovall said that he doesn't think valuations are stretched, and
sides more with Jeremy Siegel's camp rather than Robert Shiller's
-- two well-known market watchers with diverging views. (Read more:
Yale's Shiller and Penn's Siegel are at odds
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/yale-vs-penn-where-are-stocks-headed-2014-08-22.)
In addition, Stovall sounded a cautious note about anemic
summertime trading. "The volume is incredibly low," he told
MarketWatch. That's "a sign of maybe lack of conviction, but I
think at the same time it doesn't necessarily mean things have to
go bad." Total composite volume was at its lowest level of the year
for any full trading day.
Draghi 'whatever it takes' part 2: Inspiration for Monday's
gains came in part from stronger European markets, where the Stoxx
Europe 600 closed higher following ECB President Mario Draghi's
suggestion that further stimulus could be on the way for
Europe.
"[Draghi] was dovish and, to a certain degree, while Yellen and
the rest of the Fed members are preparing for a rate hike next
year, the tone is still that of easy money and so if you have a
flow of easy money coming out of Europe, that is going to help
equity markets here in the States as well," said Peter Cardillo,
chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital. (Read more:
Draghi's remarks seen as 'major breakthrough'
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/draghi-sparks-optimism-but-dont-ignore-caveats-2014-08-25.)
Draghi's comments, which came Friday after European markets had
closed, and a speech by Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen
were initially brushed aside by Wall Street last week.
Another Merger Monday: Burger King Worldwide Inc. (BKW) shares
closed 19.5% higher following news the hamburger chain is in talks
to buy Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons Inc. (THI).
The deal would be set up as a so-called tax inversion, moving
Burger King's tax base to Canada. U.S.-listed shares of Tim Hortons
rose 18.9%.
Also read: Burger King likes more than Tim Hortons' tax rate
Shares of InterMune Inc. (ITMN) soared 35.4% after
Switzerland-based Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) said Sunday it will pay
$8.3 billion for the California biotech firm.
Shares of Ann Inc.(ANN) finished up 6.5% after activist investor
Engine Capital LP called on the parent of clothing retailer Ann
Taylor to sell itself.
(Read more about Monday's biggest-moving stocks
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apple-goldman-are-stocks-to-watch-on-monday-2014-08-24.)
Other markets: The euro (EURUSD) fell against the dollar on the
suggestion of more ECB easing, as well as a survey that showed
weaker German business confidence. Asian stocks finished mixed,
with Japanese and Hong Kong equities up, but Shanghai stocks down.
Gold and crude oil both slipped, and Monday was a holiday for U.K.
markets.
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