Summary Box: Stocks end 3rd straight month higher (AP)

OIL HOLDS STEADY: Stocks rose Monday as oil prices stabilized. Oil settled at a little less than $97, down from a high of $103 last Thursday.

THE INDEXES: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 95.89 to 12,226.34. The S&P 500 rose 7.34 to 1,327.22. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.22 to 2,782.27.

MONTHLY STREAK: All three indexes ended the month higher. The Dow rose 2.8 percent, the S&P gained 3.2 percent, and the Nasdaq rose 3 percent. The S&P 500 is on a three-month stretch of gains, its longest since April 2010.

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Summary Box: Stocks fall as Libya worries continue (AP)

LIBYA: Clashes in Libya continued, leaving traders concerned about the impact on the global oil market. Oil fell for the first time in nine days after a rally that has sent it 18 percent higher since February 15th.

UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS FALL: Applications for unemployment benefits fell, pushing the four week average of new claims down to its lowest level in two and a half years.

THE INDEXES: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 37.28 points to 12,068.50. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.30 to 1,306.10. The Nasdaq composite gained 14.91 points to 2,737.90.

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Summary Box: Libya unrest rattles markets (AP)

OIL SPIKE: Oil prices jumped 6 percent to $95 a barrel, their highest level in two years, after clashes between protesters and forces loyal to the Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi threatened oil production from the world's 15th largest oil exporter.
PLANE PAINS: Higher fuel costs hurt airline stocks. Delta Air Lines Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc. and US Airways Group Inc. all dropped by 5 percent or more.
THE INDEXES: The Dow Jones industrial average sank 178 points to 12,212. The S&P 500 index fell 27 to 1,315. The Nasdaq fell 77 to 2,756.42.
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Summary Box: Manufacturing report lifts stocks (AP)

BIG JUMP: The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said its index of manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region nearly doubled between January and February, helping to push the broad stock market higher.

JOBS SLUMP: The Labor Department said that applications for unemployment benefits rose 25,000 from the previous week, a bigger bump than economists had expected.

THE INDEXES: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 30 points to 12,318.The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4 to 1,340. The Nasdaq composite rose 6 to 2,831.

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Summary Box: Dow rises for third straight week (AP)

DOW'S STREAK: The Dow Jones industrial average continued climbing on Friday, notching its third straight week of gains. The Dow has lost ground only three days in February and is up 4.2 percent for the month.

BIG CAT: Caterpillar Inc. rose 2.4 percent to lead the Dow. The company said sales of its heavy construction and mining equipment surged 49 percent last month.

THE INDEXES: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 73 points to 12,391.The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3 to 1,343. The Nasdaq composite rose 2 to 2,833.

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