New York, Feb 9 (Petra) - The U.S. Nasdaq index, focused on heavy technology stocks, rose by more than 250 points on Monday, while U.S. crude oil (West Texas Intermediate) increased to $64.28 per barrel.

Ahead of the market close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained about 50 points, maintaining the record level above 50,000 points achieved on Friday.

The S&P 500 index also rose by approximately 40 points.

//Petra// AF