Stock Opened Higher after Growth Data of Euro Zone

U.S. stocks opened marginally higher on Friday, following forecast-beating growth data from the euro zone and a firming oil price. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately added 37.66 points, or 0.21%, to 18,010.04. The S&P 500 was up 4.61 point, or 0.22%, to 2,093.09. The Nasdaq Composite gained 12.07 points, or 0.25%, to 4,869.68.

Central European economies remained on a solid growth path in the fourth quarter thanks to buoyant household spending and a strong performance in Germany that sustained demand for exports.

Crude-oil futures rose Friday, extending sharp overnight gains, with Brent crude testing the $60 mark on reports of spending cuts by oil companies and a weaker U.S. dollar. Brent crude for April delivery rose 86 cents, or 1.5%, to $60.14 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures exchange.

U.S. import prices fell 2.8 percent in January, after declining 1.9 percent in December and 1.8 percent in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Decreasing fuel prices drove each of the monthly drops. The price index for U.S. exports decreased 2.0 percent in January, and has not recorded a monthly advance since July.