Wall St edges up after string of losses

Dow Jones, S&P 500 index and Nasdaq up 0.5% each

U.S. stocks rose at the open on Friday after six days of declines on the S&P 500 as data from China allayed concerns a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy could further hinder growth worldwide.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 50.03 points, or 0.40 percent, to 12,623.30. The S&P 500 Index gained 5.43 points, or 0.41 percent, to 1,340.19. The Nasdaq Composite added 13.31 points, or 0.46 percent, to 2,879.50.