icrosoft Deal Lifts Nuance Stock; Tesla Gets an Upgrade

The Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) got off to a quiet start on Monday, easing lower by about a third of a percent by 1:30 p.m. EDT. Unlike some other major market benchmarks, the Nasdaq has remained below its record highs from February, but it wouldn't take much of a gain to send the index into uncharted territory as well.

Strategic moves among major companies listed on the Nasdaq might prove to be the catalyst for a record run, and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) added some fuel to the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) fire with a sizable deal. Meanwhile, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) rebounded from recent declines as the electric-car stock got a vote of approval on Wall Street.

Shares of Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN) climbed 16% on Monday afternoon after Microsoft announced it would purchase the speech-recognition company. Microsoft shares were up a fraction of a percent.

Source Fool.com