U.S. Stocks Climb on Takeovers; S&P 500 Index Heads Toward Record Close

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks climbed and the Standard &
Poor's 500 Index rose above its highest close after $43.2 billion
of announced deals extended this year's record pace of mergers
and acquisitions.

General Electric Co., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Merck & Co. led
the S&P 500 above its March 24, 2000, peak and sent the Dow Jones
Industrial Average to its 25th record this year. Alltel Corp.
rallied to its highest in almost eight years after Goldman Sachs
Group Inc. and TPG Inc. agreed to buy the fifth-biggest U.S.
wireless company for $24.7 billion.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News