U.S. stocks rose, rebounding from the first two-week decline since July, as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recommended large banks and a report showed service industries returned to growth after 11 months of contraction. Gold and oil advanced as the dollar weakened.

Wells Fargo & Co. rallied 6.9 percent and JPMorgan Chase & Co. added 4.6 percent as Goldman Sachs said big banks will outperform regional lenders. Nordstrom Inc. and Limited Brands Inc. climbed at least 7.7 percent after the Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of non-manufacturing businesses topped estimates. Brocade Communications Systems Inc. jumped 19 percent, the most in seven weeks, on takeover speculation.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 1.5 percent to 1,040.46 at 4:39 p.m. in New York, its steepest gain in a week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 112.08 points, or 1.2 percent, to 9,599.75. Europe’s benchmark index advanced 0.9 percent, while Asia’s slipped 0.7 percent. Seven stocks rose for each that fell on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Bloomberg.com)