Investing.com - U.S. stocks opened higher in holiday-thinned trade on Friday, as Thursday's upbeat U.S. jobless claims data continued to support.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.21%, the S&P 500 index added 0.08%, while the Nasdaq Composite index inched 0.02% higher.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits declined by 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted 338,000 last week. Analysts had expected U.S. jobless claims to fall by 35,000 to 345,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 380,000, which was the highest since March.
The upbeat data added to the view that the U.S. economy will be strong enough to allow the Federal Reserve to continue withdrawing stimulus through 2014.
Package-delivery companies were still active after saying on Thursday that they were overwhelmed by volume. FedEx shares edged up 0.13% at the open of the U.S. trading session. Online retailer Amazon.com fell 0.22% however, after offering to refund shipping charges.
Time Warner added 0.10% and Viacom eased up 0.07%, following the Christmas debuts of blockbusters such as the second Hobbit film, "Anchorman 2", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "47 Ronin".
In the tech sector, Apple slipped 0.09% amid reports the company is seeking to once more ban sales in the U.S. of Samsung Electronics products that were at issue in the companies’ first patent trial in California and are now no longer on the market.
Separately, Microsoft shares were up 0.30% even as Chinese mobile phone makers asked regulators to make sure the U.S. firm's EUR5.44 billion bid to take over Nokia's handset business doesn’t result in higher patent fees on wireless technology.
Elsewhere, McDonald’s, currently under pressure to increase pay for its workers, said it is removing a resources website for employees, after critics pummeled the fast food giant for tips such as breaking food into small pieces to feel more full. Shares rose 0.17% at the open of the U.S. session.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 jumped 1.06%, France’s CAC 40 rallied 1.10%, Germany's DAX gained 0.82%, while Britain's FTSE 100 advanced 0.73%.
Also Friday, European Central Bank Governing Council member Jens Weidmann said keeping interest rates low may endanger political reforms.
According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, Weidmann said low inflation shouldn’t be used to justify loose monetary policy. "We must take care to raise interest rates again in a timely manner should inflation pressures build," he reportedly added.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.27%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.03%.
Trading volumes were expected to remain light, with no major U.S. data to be released throughout the day.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.21%, the S&P 500 index added 0.08%, while the Nasdaq Composite index inched 0.02% higher.
The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday said that the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits declined by 42,000 to a seasonally adjusted 338,000 last week. Analysts had expected U.S. jobless claims to fall by 35,000 to 345,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 380,000, which was the highest since March.
The upbeat data added to the view that the U.S. economy will be strong enough to allow the Federal Reserve to continue withdrawing stimulus through 2014.
Package-delivery companies were still active after saying on Thursday that they were overwhelmed by volume. FedEx shares edged up 0.13% at the open of the U.S. trading session. Online retailer Amazon.com fell 0.22% however, after offering to refund shipping charges.
Time Warner added 0.10% and Viacom eased up 0.07%, following the Christmas debuts of blockbusters such as the second Hobbit film, "Anchorman 2", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and "47 Ronin".
In the tech sector, Apple slipped 0.09% amid reports the company is seeking to once more ban sales in the U.S. of Samsung Electronics products that were at issue in the companies’ first patent trial in California and are now no longer on the market.
Separately, Microsoft shares were up 0.30% even as Chinese mobile phone makers asked regulators to make sure the U.S. firm's EUR5.44 billion bid to take over Nokia's handset business doesn’t result in higher patent fees on wireless technology.
Elsewhere, McDonald’s, currently under pressure to increase pay for its workers, said it is removing a resources website for employees, after critics pummeled the fast food giant for tips such as breaking food into small pieces to feel more full. Shares rose 0.17% at the open of the U.S. session.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were higher. The EURO STOXX 50 jumped 1.06%, France’s CAC 40 rallied 1.10%, Germany's DAX gained 0.82%, while Britain's FTSE 100 advanced 0.73%.
Also Friday, European Central Bank Governing Council member Jens Weidmann said keeping interest rates low may endanger political reforms.
According to Germany’s Bild newspaper, Weidmann said low inflation shouldn’t be used to justify loose monetary policy. "We must take care to raise interest rates again in a timely manner should inflation pressures build," he reportedly added.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index added 0.27%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.03%.
Trading volumes were expected to remain light, with no major U.S. data to be released throughout the day.