American stocks surged for a third day, sweeping the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index past its 2000 record, led by energy and financial shares. Exxon Mobil Corp. and American Express Co. also helped carry the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its 25th closing high this year. Higher oil prices and the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s May 9 meeting enabled stocks to overcome earlier losses sparked by a rout in Chinese shares.

The S&P 500 has almost doubled since hitting its low for the decade of 776.76 on October 9, 2002. The Fed’s prediction that American economic growth will pick up added to gains fueled by takeover speculation and earnings that have grown by more than 10% for 14 straight quarters.

“The economy is really in a sweet spot right now,” a manager of $2.4 billion in assets at Bryn Mawr Trust Co., Eric Thorne, said.

The S&P 500 rose 12.12, or 0.8%, to 1530.23, eclipsing its March 2000 record close of 1527.46. The Dow average added 111.74, or 0.8%, to 13,633.08, its 25th high this year. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 20.53, or 0.8%, to 2592.59.

Stocks opened the day lower, following declines in Asia and Europe, after China tripled the tax on equity trades to 0.3% from 0.1%. China’s CSI 300, Asia’s best performing equity benchmark this year, sank 6.8%, the biggest slump since the index lost 9.24% during the February 27 sell-off. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 index of European shares lost 0.2%; Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.5%.