U.S. stock-index benchmarks opened firmly higher on Thursday, the final session in August, as a pair of economic reports helped to support recent buying in risk assets like stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened up 0.2% at 21,934, flirting with a return to the psychologically significant level of 22,000. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.2% at 2,462, while the technology-laden Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.3% at 6,384. For the month, the Nasdaq is looking at an August gain of 0.6% so far, the S&P 500 has slipped 0.2%, while the Dow is up 0.2% on the month. In corporate news, Shares of retailer Dollar General Corp. and food giant Campbell Soup Co. fell after posting earnings ahead of the open.
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From:: Stock Market News