Nasdaq jumps 2%, Dow closes 250 points higher as investors weigh Fed rate path; European markets close higher as investors weigh economic outlook 
On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite led with a gain of 2.01%. The S&P 500 and Dow gained 1.19% and 0.76%, respectively. It was the second straight positive day for the major averages, and all three are up in 2023. 
Remarks from Fed Governor Christopher Waller Friday seeming to favor a quarter percentage point rate increase at the next meeting lifted investors’ hopes for a downshift. A Wall Street Journal report Sunday raised the possibility of a spring pause to rate increases — a sign that the Fed could be nearing the end of its rate hiking campaign. 
Semiconductor stocks and shares of Tesla and Apple gained on hopes that a reopening in China would boost their businesses. Both big tech names recently grappled with temporary shutdowns and blows to production as the country dealt with surging Covid-19 cases. 
Spotify gained 3.1% after the company sent an internal memo to staff on Monday announcing plans to lay off 6% of its global workforce, or about 600 employees. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek admitted the streaming giant was “too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth.” 

The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.5% higher, with tech stocks adding 2.2% while insurance stocks slid 0.5%. 
Source: CNBC, Investing.com