Stimulus Talk Prods Bulls; Dow Soars 413

Updated from 3:13 p.m. EDT

U.S. stocks ended Monday's session with impressive gains as credit markets continued to thaw and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed the idea of a new economic stimulus package.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 413.21 points, or 4.7%, at 9265.43, and the S&P 500 added 44.85 points, or 4.8%, to 985.40. The Nasdaq climbed 58.74 points, or 3.4%, to 1770.03.

Testimony by Bernanke before the House Budget Committee in Washington offered a boost to the major indices. Bernanke said that calming the financial markets would not immediately resolve all the problems faced by the broader economy and voiced approval for a new economic stimulus package. ...