text: Stocks Up Amid Talk of Sprint/Nextel Deal  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Thursday as investors  bet on a year-end rally, while talk of a possible merger by  telecommunications companies Sprint Corp. &lt;A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=FON.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"&gt;FON.N&lt;/A&gt; and Nextel  Communications Inc. &lt;A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=NXTL.O target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"&gt;NXTL.O&lt;/A&gt; fueled buying.