Wall Street: Monday close

A RALLY attributed to factors including Big Macs, Tiger Woods and dead cats help lift Wall Street to a triple-digit gain after four weeks of losses. Buyers who emerged late on Friday in the midst of a market plunge maintained their positive stance.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 213.21 points or 2.25% to 9687.42. The Nasdaq regained 48.55 points or 3.23% to 1553.29. McDonald's, the world's biggest restaurant chain, helped by saying it would top current quarter forecasts, thanks in part to stronger sales in Europe. The shares, which have been benefiting from easing worries over beef overseas, gained 70 cents or 2.4% to $29.82.

Florida-based trading and research company HL Camp & Co. documented what it called the 'Tiger Effect'. It said that since 1996, when Woods turned pro and joined the PGA Tour, the Dow had closed up 61% of the time the day after he scored a PGA victory and 71% of the time the day after it won a major tournament. Woods won the US Open on Sunday.

Other analysts called the rebound 'a dead cat bounce', after sentiment dropped to overly pessimistic levels early on Friday on worries that the economic recovery might have stalled.

Whatever the reason for the bounce, financials featured among leading issues. Citigroup jumped $2.63 or 6.5% to $42.83, JP MorganChase firmed $2.48 or 7.5% to $35.48 and American Express added $2.24 or 6% to $38.20.

Techs advanced, with Microsoft up 43 cents or 0.8% to $55.68 and Intel higher by $1.28 or 6% to $22.56.

Pfizer's shares shrugged off an an adverse ruling in the House of Lords, which rejected its appeal to re-establish patent protection over a key ingredient in Viagra. The stock rose 71 cents or 2% to $36.05.

Dreyer's, the ice cream maker, soared $24.50 or 57% to $67.29 after Nestlé said it would boost its stake to 67% from 23%.

The battered telecoms industry saw new casualties. XO Communications, the Virginia-based telco, eased a fraction of a cent to three cents, down from $70 two years ago, as it filed for bankruptcy protection. British bank HSBC its among its major lenders. But Qwest Communications surged 85 cents or 20% to $5 after it announced it had fired its chief executive.

Among Dow components, General Electric rose 81 cents or 2.7% to $30.51, Eastman Kodak gained $1.06 or 3.6% to $30.59 and Boeing rose $1.47 or 3.5% to $44.