Stocks Opened Higher ahead of Fed Minutes

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Wednesday, as investors await the minutes from the Federal Reserve Open Committee meeting for clues about the direction of future monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately gained 39.44 points, or 0.24%, at 16,295.58. The S&P 500 added 3.87 points, or 0.21%, at 1,855.83. The Nasdaq Composite was up 19.52 points, or 0.47%, at 4,132.50.

Toyota Motor Corp. called back more than 6 million vehicles to fix a range of safety defects in one of the biggest recalls in automotive history. The company found five types of safety hazards in vehicles including some of its top sellers such as the Camry sedan, RAV4 sport
utility vehicle and Corolla cars.

Four years after Greece became the epicenter of Europe’s debt crisis, officials on Wednesday signaled a triumphant return to the international financial scene, announcing plans to sell long-term bonds for the first time since Greece was granted 240 billion euros’ worth of international bailouts.

Quora Inc., the question-and-answer website co-founded by former Facebook Inc. executive Adam D’Angelo, raised $80 million in a round of financing led by Tiger Global Management LLC.

The federal judge who will consider SAC Capital Advisors LP’s $900 million settlement of U.S. insider-trading charges asked lawyers if the payment takes into account “the activities of all culpable persons” and illegal profit made and losses avoided by the firm.