(April 16) U.S. stocks shot higher at the open Friday, aiming for fresh records, as economic reports and corporate results remained strong. S&P 500 edges higher to another all-time high, on pace for 4th straight positive week.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 157 points, 0.5%, to open near 34,193, while the S&P 500 added 15 points, 0.4%, starting trading near 4,185. Both indexes clinched record closes Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite index, meanwhile, ticked up 0.1%, about 15 points, to trade near 14,053.
The pace of residential construction quickened in March, according to the most recent housing starts report and Morgan Stanley said profit doubled in the first quarter, topping analyst expectations.
Bitcoin slides, Blockchain stocks fell.