New York--US stocks opened higher Wednesday as oil sector equities rose with crude prices and after retailer Target boosted its dividend.
Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 17,860.44, up 96.40 points (0.54 percent).
The broad-based S&P 500 jumped 10.98 (0.53 percent) to 2,091.13, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 18.47 (0.37 percent) to 5,032.34.
ConocoPhillips rose 1.0 percent and Dow member Chevron tacked on 1.2 percent as oil prices surged for a second day.
Big-box retailer Target gained advanced 0.7 percent as it lifted its quarterly dividend by 7.7 percent and doubled authorized share repurchases.
US equities have been choppy this week on concerns about a potential Greek debt default and higher US treasury yields as investors speculate on when the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.
AFP
