Stocks Opened Higher, Hitting New Records

U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday, hitting new records, as stocks continue their strong run headed into year-end. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately gained 64.02 points, or 0.22%, to 28,685.41. The S&P 500 advanced 5.17 points, or 0.16%, to 3,245.08. The Nasdaq Composite rose 12.87 points, or 0.14%, to 9,035.26.

Oil prices edged higher Friday morning as investors awaited a batch of reports on rig counts and inventories in the U.S. which have been delayed due to the Christmas holiday. West Texas Intermediate crude for February delivery edged 6 cents, or 0.1%, higher at $61.73 a barrel. February Brent crude added a penny, or less than 0.1%, at $67.93 a barrel.