U.S. stocks gained, putting the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index within 1 percent of its record, as investors bet that the economy can withstand the slowing down of the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program. The S&P 500 increased 0.4 percent to 1,843.54 at 9:35 a.m. in New York. The equity benchmark fell 0.1 percent last week, leaving it 0.7 percent from its record and its level at the end of last year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 60.81 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,164.11 today.