Stocks break a 3-week slump and end higher; oil price sinks

Trader Christopher Fuchs, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 16, 2015. U.S. stocks opened higher, led by health care and utilities companies, rebounding after three weeks of losses. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Trader Christopher Fuchs, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, March 16, 2015. U.S. stocks opened higher, led by health care and utilities companies, rebounding after three weeks of losses. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

By Associated Press March 16, 2015 1 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. stocks are closing higher after three straight weeks of losses.

Health care and utilities stocks had the biggest gains Monday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 228 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,977.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 27 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,081. The Nasdaq composite climbed 57 points, or 1.2 percent, to 4,929.

The market is coming off three weeks of declines. Traders will be watching a Federal Reserve meeting this week for insight into when the central bank might start raising interest rates. Low rates have boosted stocks for six years.