Dow climbs 691 points as healthcare firms make progress toward coronavirus treatment

Dow climbs 691 points as healthcare firms make progress toward coronavirus treatment

US stocks rose on Monday as investors digested a slew of updates about the coronavirus pandemic.. Confirmed global cases of COVID-19 have surged past 735,000, and the death toll continues to rise.. US stocks rose on Monday as investors weighed expanded efforts in the US to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak as well as increased hopes for rapid testing and a vaccine.. Johnson & Johnson also gained as much as 8% after it said it selected a lead candidate for a coronavirus vaccine and planned to start testing in September.. Global cases of COVID-19 have surged to more than 770,000 and deaths to more than 36,000.. Oil slumped on Monday to close at an 18-year low as the coronavirus pandemic continued to weigh on demand, halting travel and slowing economic activity around the world.. A bill would be the fourth legislative-aid package meant to bolster the US economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.. Investors will be up against more economic data this week showing the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the US..