U.S. stocks rose at the open on Monday, following the worst week for the benchmark S&P 500 index in more than two years, with investors focused on crude oil prices which earlier hit a fresh 5-1/2-year low.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 113.41 points, or 0.66 percent, to 17,394.24, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 15.22 points, or 0.76 percent, to 2,017.55 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC added 31.89 points, or 0.69 percent, to 4,685.48.

Gains in shares of Apple (AAPL.O) and Oracle (ORCL.N) boosted the technology sector.