NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Monday as weaker-than-expected factory activity last month supported views that the Federal Reserve will need to keep economic stimulus in place, while gains in Merck & Co's lifted drug companies.
Intel Corp helped the Nasdaq turn positive in the final hour of trading, rising 3.9 percent to $25.23.
The Dow Jones industrial average was up 136.77 points, or 0.90 percent, at 15,252.34. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 9.52 points, or 0.58 percent, at 1,640.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 9.45 points, or 0.27 percent, at 3,465.37.
(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Nick Zieminski)