Rally by big tech firms buoys stocks

U.S. stocks rose Monday as big technology companies continued to rally. Investors bought stocks and sold bonds and gold after Congress agreed to a deal that will keep the government operating for the rest of the fiscal year.

The VIX, an index seen as a measure of the market’s anxiety level, fell to its lowest level since February 2007.

Apple climbed 2.1% to $146.60 and Facebook advanced 1.5% to $152.46. They will report earnings this week. Microsoft rose 1.4% to $69.41. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index reached a new record high.

Amazon.com stood out among consumer-focused firms, rising 2.5% to $948.43.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.32% from 2.29%. That sent interest rates up, which enables banks to charge higher interest rates on loans. Shares of Capital One Financial rose 1.5% to $81.57 and Citizens Financial rose 1.5% to $37.13.

Aerospace firms struggled after aircraft parts distributor Wesco Aircraft Holdings gave a weak forecast and said its president and chief executive retired. Wesco dived 18.1% to $9.95.

Industrial companies lagged behind the rest of the market after a report that output by U.S. factories didn’t grow as much as analysts expected.

Tribune Media jumped 6% to $38.75 after the Financial Times reported that 21st Century Fox and Blackstone may make a joint takeover bid for the company. Tribune has stakes in Food Network and the WGN cable network and owns TV stations, including KTLA in Los Angeles. Sinclair Broadcast Group is also reported to be interested in buying it.

Ensign Group climbed 6.8% to $19.17 after the Mission Viejo provider of nursing and rehabilitative care reported more revenue than investors expected.

Benchmark U.S. crude fell 1% to $48.84 a barrel. Brent crude declined 1% to $51.52 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline fell 2 cents to $1.53 a gallon. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.49 a gallon. Natural gas fell 6 cents to $3.22 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold fell 1% to $1,255.50 an ounce. Silver fell 2.4% to $16.84 an ounce. Copper rose 2% to $2.66 a pound.

The dollar rose to 111.83 yen from 111.44 yen. The euro rose to $1.0906 from $1.0895.