U.S. stocks rallied on Monday as reassuring economic data pointed to a positive turn in the economic cycle, while General Motors' long-expected bankruptcy filing lifted uncertainty about the automaker's fate.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 221.11 points, or 2.60 percent, to end unofficially at 8,721.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 23.73 points, or 2.58 percent, to finish unofficially at 942.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> jumped 54.35 points, or 3.06 percent, to close unofficially at 1,828.68.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)

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