U.S. stock benchmarks on Thursday opened in record territory as a pair of components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average reported better-than-expected quarterly results. The Dow rose 100, or 0.4%, at 26,359, the S&P 500 index climbed 0.3% to 2,847, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.6% at 7,455. Both Dow components Caterpillar Inc. and 3M Co. were leading the way higher after both companies reported better-than-expected quarterly results before the opening bell. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank kept rates unchanged by ECB President Mario Draghi failed to keep a lid a rising euro , which shot higher after he acknowledged that the eurozone economy is on a firmer footing. The euro’s rise weighed on greenback as measured by the ICE U.S. Dollar Index , which fell to a fresh three-year low around 88.
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