NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street extended its big advance Monday as investors
grew upbeat over a report that Bear Stearns Cos. could fetch more money than the
amount set in a buyout deal a week ago. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped
about 100 points.
Stocks rose on a New York Times report that JPMorgan Chase & Co. is in talks
to boost its offer to $10 per share from $2. The discussions are aimed at
soothing Bear Stearns shareholders upset over JPMorgan's earlier offer, which
was made at the behest of the Federal Reserve when Bear Stearns was near
collapse.
While the Fed would need to sign off on any changes to the deal, any sign
that Bear Stearns could fetch more than originally thought could help boost Wall
Street's mood.
In the first minutes of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose
100.37, or 0.81 percent, to 12,461.69 after rising more than 260 points on
Thursday, the last day of trading before the Easter holiday weekend.
Broader stock indicators also rose. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose
11.20, or 0.84 percent, to 1,340.71, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 25.36,
or 1.12 percent, to 2,283.47.
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