FXstreet.com (Córdoba) - US stock indexes opened Monday with solid gains amid hopes euro zone leaders were closer to a plan to tackle Europe's debt crisis. The retail sector was boosted by strong sales over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 325 points or 2.89% to 11,556. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 37 points or 3.26% to 1,196. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 87 points or 3.59% to 2,529.

In the macroeconomic domain, new home sales rose 1.3% to an annualized pace of 307,000 units in October, below the 312,000 economists expected.

European markets were sharply higher, with the Stoxx Europe 600 gaining 3.6% in broad rally. Gold rose 1.9% to $1715 an ounce, while crude oil futures soared 2.5% to $99.25 a barrel, having hit a high of $100.71.