The Dow industrials rose at the open on Monday, led by Caterpillar Inc , but financial shares weighed on the overall market despite a flurry of merger-and-acquisition activity.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> advanced 26.45 points, or 0.24 percent, to 11,230.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 0.94 point, or 0.08 percent, to 1,218.22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 2.72 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,532.87.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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