Summary Box: Energy stocks lead market higher

ENERGY: Exxon Mobil Corp. gained 2.1 percent after it reported its most profitable quarter since 2008. Massey Energy Co. jumped 9.8 percent after Alpha Natural Resources Inc. said that it would buy the coal producer in a $7.1 billion deal.

CONSUMERS: The Commerce Department reported that consumers increased their spending in December by more than analysts had predicted. Spending for all of 2010 rose by the largest amount in three years.

THE INDEXES: The Dow gained 68 points, or 0.6 percent, to close at 11,891.93. The broader Standard and Poor's 500 index rose 10, or 0.8 percent, to 1,286.12. The Nasdaq composite index gained 13, or 0.5 percent, to 2,700.08.