Most U.S. Stocks Rise as Investors Weigh Data, Speech

Most U.S. stocks rose, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to the highest level since October 2007, as investors weighed economic reports and President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

General Electric Co. climbed 3.6 percent after agreeing to sell its remaining stake in NBC Universal to Comcast Corp. for $16.7 billion. Comcast, the largest U.S. cable company, jumped 3 percent. Retailers in the S&P 500 rose as a group after government data showed purchases increased in January for the third consecutive month. McDonald’s Corp. lost 1.2 percent after Obama announced his plan to raise the minimum wage.