Stocks Opened Slightly Higher, Oil Prices Rose

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Thursday as investors sought to shake off worries of a potential trade war. The Dow industrial Average lately rose 40.00 points, or 0.16%, to 24,798.12. The S&P 500 was up 0.42, or 0.02%, to 2,749.90. The Nasdaq Composite was down 8.96 points, or 0.12%, to 7,487.85.

Oil prices moved higher Thursday, as investors weighed signs of growing global oil demand and surging U.S. shale production.
Brent crude was up 18 cents, or 0.3%, to $65.07 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures were trading up 28 cents, or 0.5%, to $61.25 a barrel.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to sustained labor strength even as economic growth appears to have slowed early in the first quarter.Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 226,000 for the week ended March 10, the Labor Department said on Thursday.