U.S. stocks opened higher Thursday amid a raft of strong economic reports and corporate results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
added 177 points, or 0.5%, according to preliminary estimates, to open near 33,908, while the S&P 500
SPX,
gained 25 points or 0.6%, to start trading near 4,149. The Nasdaq Composite index
COMP,
was up 122 points or 0.9%, near 13,980. First-time filings for jobless benefits fell sharply in the most recent week, the Labor Department said Thursday morning, and retail sales rocketed nearly 10% in March as Americans spent their stimulus checks. Shares of Coinbase Global Inc.
COIN,
gained on the second day of trading for the cryptocurrency exchange, boosted by both retail and institutional investors alike, and earnings for companies like Citigroup Inc.
C,
beat analyst expectations.
