Monday

A stock rally sparked by merger news and improving U.S. economic data pushed markets up today - some market measures were even able to reach positive territory for the year. Personal spending for Americans climbed slightly more than expected, while personal income rose less than planned. Also, the saving rate slowed to the smallest since 2008. In other markets, the dollar, yen, pound, and euro all gained slightly along with the 10 year note. DJIA +78.53 Nasdaq +35.31 S&P 500 +11.22.