Stocks rose on Monday on healthy earnings and signs of a strengthening economy, even as a surge in the price of oil highlighted the potential for increased political risk in the Middle East to upset markets.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 68.16 points, or 0.58 percent, to 11,891.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 9.76 points, or 0.76 percent, to 1,286.10. The Nasdaq Composite added 13.19 points, or 0.49 percent, to 2,700.08.

For the month, the Dow rose 2.7 percent, the S&P 500 added 2.3 percent and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.8 percent. It was the fourth month of gains in the last five for the three indexes.

(Editing by Leslie Adler)

Egypt