By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Technology stocks joined a broad market rally Monday, propelled by rising shares of Microsoft Corp. and Micron Technology.

Microsoft (MSFT) was up 1.7% to close at $40.99, one of the best performers on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, (DJI) which was up 135 points.

Micron Technology (MU) climbed 8% to close at $23.66, the top gainer on the S&P 500(SPX), which was up 0.5%.

Shares of AT&T (T) traded flat to close at $35.07. The telecommunications company said Monday that its board of directors approved a new plan to repurchase 300 million shares of stock, or about 6% of its current shares outstanding.

On the downside, shares of BlackBerry Inc. (RIMM) shed 4% to close at $8.08. The mobile technology company last week reported a narrower-than-expected loss, but posted sales that were below estimates. Credit Suisse on Monday downgraded the stock to underperform from neutral.

"We are concerned by the level of free cash flow burn and the ongoing pressure in services revenues and believe visibility on a turnaround is very low," Credit Suisse analyst Kulbinder Garcha told clients in a note.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) rose 1% to close at 4,199. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) was up 1.6%, while the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) was up 0.8%.

More news from MarketWatch:

European stocks push higher after weak inflation

U.S. stocks rise; Dow in triple digit gain

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more BlackBerry Ltd. Charts.
BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ:BBRY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024 Click Here for more BlackBerry Ltd. Charts.