US stocks open slightly higher after upbeat data

The major US stock indices opened higher on Thursday, after the release of strong economic data, amid focus on the latest developments in ongoing talks about the second stimulus package in the US.

The US Labor Department of Labor revealed today that the number of unemployment claims fell 55,000 to the lowest level since March at 787,000 last week.

Doubts mounted about the US passing the new Covid-19 aid package ahead of the upcoming presidential election, as differences persisted between the Democratic and Republican parties.

Meanwhile, major firms continued to release their business results, as Tesla reported better than expected earnings during the third quarter.

As for stocks, Dow Jones rose 0.1% or 37 points to 28,247 as of 15:00 GMT, Nasdaq rose 0.3% or 38 points to 11,522, and S&P 500 rose 0.1% or 5 points to 3,440.