Midday Report: Twitter Jumps on Deal Rumors; Oil Weighs on Stocks

Crude oil weighed on stocks again on Monday as Wall Street kicked off a new month on weaker footing. Commodities were under pressure after disappointing Chinese factory data spooked traders who were already worried about softer demand. Manufacturing activity in the U.S. didn't fare too well either, it contracted for the fourth straight month in January. Construction spending edged higher in December, though it rose at just one-sixth the pace analysts had expected. Twitter (TWTR) jumped on talk of a potential deal in the works with venture capitalist Mark Andreessen and private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners. It's welcome news for the social network which closed below its 2013 IPO price on Friday on growth concerns. TheStreet's Keris Lahiff reports from Wall Street.