Stocks look to rebound following deal news

[February 28, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are looking to rebound after the Dow Jones industrial average had its worst week since November.

The major indexes pointed to a higher opening Monday. Investors were encouraged after hospital owner Ventas said it would buy Nationwide Health Properties in a $5.8 billion deal, creating the nation's largest health care real-estate investment trust. Warren Buffett also said in his letter to investors Saturday that he is "itchy" to make more big acquisitions for his company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Ahead of the opening, Dow futures are up 42 points, or 0.4 percent, at 12,154. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 6, or 0.4 percent, at 1,324.

Last week, the Dow fell 2.1 percent after the political turmoil in Libya rattled investors' confidence and sent oil prices soaring. Crude is down 17 cents to $97.70 a barrel in electronic trading Monday.

[Associated Press; By CHIP CUTTER]

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