* U.S. dollar slips, commodities rise
* Blackstone plans to list eight companies-source
* Indexes higher: Dow 0.6 pct, S&P 500 0.3, Nasdaq 0.8
* For up-to-the-minute market news, click []
(Updates to mid-morning)
By Edward Krudy
NEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Monday as
continued optimism over the economy lifted energy and other
commodity prices, which were also helped by a weaker U.S.
dollar.
In a possible sign of healthier capital markets, private
equity firm Blackstone Group <BX.N> is planning to list up to
eight of its portfolio companies, according to a source who
received a letter the firm sent to investors on Friday.
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Blackstone shares rose 7.6 percent.
The U.S. dollar fell 0.5 percent against a basket of major
currencies <.DXY>, continuing its recent weakness that has
helped bolster U.S. stocks by lifting commodity prices and
increasing the dollar value of repatriated export earnings of
U.S. companies.
"We are having a continuation of a commodity rally across
the board," said Chad Morganlander, a portfolio manager at
Stifel Nicolaus & Co in Florham Park, New Jersey. "It is tied
into the dollar weakness, but if you continue to see the global
economy improve even with the dollar strengthening, you will
see a bid persist for commodities."
Earlier on Monday Singapore said its export oriented
economy grew by more than expected in the third quarter.
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The Dow Jones industrial average <> gained 59.10
points, or 0.60 percent, to 9,924.04. The Standard & Poor's 500
Index <.SPX> added 3.57 points, or 0.33 percent, to 1,075.06.
The Nasdaq Composite Index <> rose 16.27 points, or 0.76
percent, to 2,155.55.
Commodity and energy companies such as Newmont Mining Corp
<NEM.N> and ConocoPhillips <COP.N> rose more than 1 percent
each.
Black & Decker Corp <BDK.N> jumped more than 8 percent as
the power tools maker raised its third-quarter earnings outlook
ahead of series of blue chip earnings reports this week.
On Nasdaq, Google Inc <GOOG.O> rose 1.4 percent to $523.50
after several analysts raised their price targets on the shares
ahead of Google's third-quarter results due this week.
Crude oil <CLc1> pushed higher above $73 a barrel,
extending last week's gains, helped by growing optimism about
the pace of the global economic recovery and a positive demand
forecast from the International Energy Agency.
U.S. stocks rose every day last week in their best weekly
run in three months, and Dow industrials reached a new 2009
closing high on Friday. The S&P 500 is up around 60 percent
from March lows.
(Editing by Padraic Cassidy)
