Wall Street Pushes Higher Amid Deal Flurry

U.S. stocks pushed higher after the open Monday, as global macro concerns eased and investors took on board positive company-specific news, including a flurry of midcap mergers and some upbeat earnings guidance. The S&P 500 index was trading 6 points, or 0.2%, higher by 0935 ET (1435 GMT), with the NASDAQ Composite up 33 points, or 0.4%. The Dow Jones gained 27 points, or 0.1%. Fears of major military action in the Middle East have dimmed, although the Iranian authorities are under pressure from domestic protests over the downing of a Ukranian passenger plane last week. At the same time, the trade spat between China and the U.S., the two largest economies in the world, looks set to come to an end with Chinese negotiators traveling to Washington this week to sign a phase one trade deal with the U.S.