The Dow Jones industrial average finished on another high Monday, making it the third day in a row that stocks have risen. According to the Associated Press, it’s the first time the Dow has closed on a high for three straight days in the past six weeks.

Sending the Dow up 214 points and neutralizing last week’s losses is positive economic news from Japan and the return of “Merger Monday” on Wall Street. Now having risen 763 points since Thursday, the index shows its best three-day point gain since it gained 927 points in November 2008, the AP reported.

Much of the thanks is owed to corporate deals, like Google’s $12.5 billion cash purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings. Stock in the wireless-phone manufacturer rose 55.8 percent, the AP said.

A report that Japan’s economy suffered much less second-quarter damage from the March earthquake and tsunami than expected also helped buoy investors.

The other two major market indexes rose as well, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 gaining 2.2 percent, and the Nasdaq up 1.9 percent.Read More