U.S. stocks opened higher Thursday, with gains led by the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite, as investors weighed a drop in initial jobless claims and data showing the economy grew in the fourth quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3% soon after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.3%, according to FactSet data, at last check. Initial jobless claims fell in the week ended Jan. 21, according to a report Thursday from the Department of Labor. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday that it estimated real gross domestic product increased at an annual pace of 2.9% in the fourth quarter, slowing from a 3.2% rise in the third quarter.
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