Stocks extended gains in late afternoon trading on Monday, with the Nasdaq Composite up 1 percent and the S&P 500 at a fresh four-year high as encouraging data from the United States and abroad helped ease concerns about the pace of economic growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 80.87 points, or 0.61 percent, to 13,292.91. The S&P 500 Index <.SPX> rose 13.33 points, or 0.95 percent, to 1,421.80. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 31.05 points, or 1.00 percent, to 3,122.62.

The Dow hit its highest intraday level since December 2007 and the S&P reached its highest since May 2008. The Nasdaq traded near its highest since late 2000.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica and Rodrigo Campos; Edited by Jan Paschal)