U.S. stocks rose further on Monday, with the Nasdaq briefly up more than 2 percent as merger and acquisition activity helped lift investor sentiment in the waning days of the third quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 122.59 points, or 1.27 percent, to 9,787.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 16.10 points, or 1.54 percent, to 1,060.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> jumped 40.90 points, or 1.96 percent, to 2,131.82.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)