Stocks Climb as Lawmakers Aim at a Deal
Stocks finished higher after top lawmakers said they were nearing a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling and end the government shutdown.</br></br>The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 64.15 points, or 0.4%, to 15301.26, its highest finish since Sept. 26.</br></br>The benchmark recovered from a loss of as many as 101 points earlier in the session, and has gained 525 points over the past four sessions on expectations of an agreement.</br></br>The S&P 500 index rose 6.94 points, or 0.4%, to 1710.14. The index is up 1.7% since Sept. 30, the eve of the government shutdown. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 23.4 points, or 0.6%, to 3815.27.</br></br>A meeting between President Barack Obama and Senate and House leaders Monday afternoon was postponed to allow lawmakers to work on a resolution that would raise the debt limit and reopen the government, the White House said in a statement. The wrangling comes just days away from a deadline set by the Treasury Department to raise the federal borrowing limit.