HispanicBusiness

U.S. stock markets jumped Monday, landing the Standard & Poor's 500 index at its highest ever close and pushing 24 of 30 Dow components higher.

Market analysts kept an eye on JPMorgan Chase, the nation's largest bank, where a top executive is leaving to take another post. Although the departure was called voluntary, it is the latest in a series of high-level departures at the bank that lost $6.2 billion in 2012 in derivatives trading at a London office.

The bank's stock held up Monday, gaining 0.08 percent.

The Commerce Department said consumer spending rose in March, an unexpected gain. Economists had predicted spending would be flat, but it rose 0.2 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 closed less than 1 point higher than its previous record close of 1,593.37, which occurred April 11.

The S&P added 11.37 points or 0.72 percent to 1,593.61. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 106.20 points or 0.72 percent to 14,818.75. The Nasdaq composite index added 27.76 points or 0.85 percent to 3,307.02.

The 10-year treasury note fell 2/32 to yield 1.675 percent.

The euro rose to $1.3096 from Friday's $1.305. The U.S. dollar fell to 97.85 yen from 97.96 yen.

Gold gained $22.30 to $1,475.90 per troy ounce. West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained $1.42 to $94.42 per barrel.

In international markets, the Nikkei 225 index in Japan lost 0.3 percent, 41.95 points, to 13,884.13. The FTSE 100 index in Britain gained 0.49 percent, 31.60 points, to 6,458.02.

On the Chicago Board of Trade, corn for July delivery added 40 cents to $6.5975 per bushel. Soybeans for July added 26 cents to $14.07. Wheat gained 23 cents to $7.155.