U.S. Stocks Rise Despite Oil Declines; Ford Unveils Growth Plan

U.S. stocks gained steam on Wednesday, even though oil prices continued to slide. Stocks have been hit with a wave of volatility with declines last Friday; gains on Monday and declines on Tuesday. 'Volatility is clearly back from a summer holiday,' said Maximilian Kunkel, a cross-asset strategist at UBS Wealth Management, based in Zurich. Bayer (BAYRY) - Get Report is acquiring Monsanto (MON) for $66 billion or $128 a share in a cash deal that is expected to close at the end of next year. Ford (F) - Get Report shares moved slightly lower after outlining an investment plan in electric and self-driving cars over the next four years. The investment is set to reach $4.5 billion. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from Wall Street.