New York, Apr 28: US stocks ticked a touch higher at Monday's opening as optimism about the earnings season kept investors in a buying mood amid a flood of reports from marquee names like Procter & Gamble and McDonald's.
Investors have been turning their focus away from the war in Iraq in recent days and have been seeking signs that the economy and corporate earnings are turning the corner.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 13.02 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 8,319.37, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 2.11 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 900.92. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 4.3 points, or 0.3 per cent, at 1,438.84.
McDonald's rose 43 cents to $16.24, while P&G slipped 41 cents to $88.73.

Weaker oil prices were also giving investors hope that corporate earnings will not be hindered by high energy costs.
The market's reaction was muted to a report showing that US consumers increased their spending in March at the fastest pace in three months. Wall Street has a slew of economic data to sort through this week, including the closely watched monthly jobs report on Friday. Bureau Report