THE REAL MOST ACTIVE Stocks Advance As Small Caps Post New High.(MAKING MONEY)

Byline: CRAIG SHAW

NYSE stocks gained ground Monday as factory data suggested a jobs turnaround may be on the horizon. The Dow industrials jumped 0.9%, the S&P 500 1%. The small-cap S&P 600 climbed 1.7% to close at a new high. Twenty-eight of 30 Dow stocks rose.

International Game Technology surged 2.35 to 41.59 on nearly four times normal trade. Several brokerages upgraded the slot machine maker after the Supreme Court rejected the federal government's appeal of two appellate rulings that allowed certain electronic gambling devices at Indian casinos. The decision effectively legalizes Class II gaming devices, letting slot machine makers aggressively pursue that market.

Pulte Homes jumped 2.41 to 55.17 on nearly twice normal trade. The Michigan-based firm is the standout among recent home builder breakouts, flying 16% from its pivot point in three days. It said last week that it expects annual growth of 20% or more in earnings from continuing operations the next three years.

Core Laboratories rallied 1.18 to a 52-week high of 20.83. That marked the stock's third straight up day on massive trade. The Netherlands-based provider of oil and gas well ...