Stocks Halt Slump on M&A as Oil Drops; Greek, Spain Bonds Fall

U.S. stocks rose, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rebounding from an almost three-month low, as a pickup in takeovers overshadowed concern the economic recovery is slowing. Oil retreated and Treasuries declined.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.1 percent to 1,271.83 at 4 p.m. in New York and the Stoxx Europe 600 Index closed up 0.2 percent. Crude slid 2 percent to $97.30 a barrel. Greek, Portuguese and Spanish bonds fell and the cost of European government debt-default insurance increased a sixth day as leaders remained at odds over the role of investors in a second rescue package for Greece, which was cut by S&P to the world’s lowest debt rating. Ten-year Treasury yields added two basis points to 2.99 percent.