Wall Street climbs as Ukraine worries ease, data improves

By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks climbed on Monday, with the S&P 500 bouncing from its worst weekly drop in the past seven, as concerns eased over the situation in Crimea, while economic data indicated the economy was improving after a winter slowdown. The 97-percent vote in Crimea in favor of quitting Ukraine was condemned as illegal by Kiev and the West, but the referendum passed without violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the region as a sovereign state. Google Inc gained 1.6 percent to $1,192.10 while General Electric Co rose 1.3 percent to $25.43.