Dow jumps more than 250 points, Nasdaq hits 8,000 as US and Mexico strike trade deal

Stocks jumped on Monday as the United States and Mexico closed a new trade deal, potentially removing a source of uncertainty that had been plaguing investors for months.

The S&P 500 gained 0.8 percent to close at 2,896.74 — a record high — with materials and financials as the best-performing sectors. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.9 percent to an all-time high, breaking above 8,000 points for the first time, as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet rose. Tech's gains led the Nasdaq to close at 8,017.90.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 259.29 points to 26,049.64 as Caterpillar outperformed. Monday also marked the first time since Feb. 1 that the Dow closed above 26,000.

"The market has been buffeted with a lot of headwinds lately, and the biggest one is trade," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR. "If you were to take trade out of the picture, you would have a smoother ride higher in this market."

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