The Nasdaq has finished above 5,000 for the first time in 15 years, capping a long-running recovery in the exchange after the dot-com bubble burst spectacularly in 2000.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 44.57 points (0.90 per cent) to 5,008.10 on Monday, finishing above 5,000 for only the third time in its history.

Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 struck new records as well, as US markets continue a six-year bull run.

The Dow rose 155.93 (0.86 per cent) to 18,288.63, while the broad-based S&P advanced 12.89 (0.61 per cent) to 2,117.39.

“It’s an exciting day for the Nasdaq,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital.

“After 15 year, new records are here, but this time on a solid basis.”

The Nasdaq is still about 40 points below its all-time closing high of 5,048.62, on March 10, 2000.

Monday’s gains came on a stream of merger announcements, including the $US16.7 billion ($A21.35 billion) acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor by NXP Semiconductor, in a deal that links two Nasdaq companies.

NXP jumped 17.3 per cent, while Freescale rose 11.8 per cent.

The gains were spread well among other Nasdaq tech titans: Google (+2.3 per cent), Intel (+2.4 per cent) and Cisco Systems (+2.2 per cent). Apple, the biggest US company by market capitalisation, rose 0.5 per cent.

Monday’s torrid trade follows a buoyant February for US stocks thanks to improving economic data, solid corporate earnings and continued central bank liquidity.