US: Merger action lifts Wall St at open

[NEW YORK] US stocks opened modestly higher on Monday, pushing the Dow and S&P 500 further into record territory on the back of multiple merger deals and hopes China will take further accommodative monetary policy action.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 21.77 points, or 0.12 per cent, to 17,831.83, the S&P 500 gained 3.21 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 2,066.71 and the Nasdaq Composite added 11.61 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 4,724.58.

REUTERS