Wall Street opens higher after housing, labour data

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

U.S. stocks rose at the open on Thursday after data on the housing and labour markets did little to change investors' assesment of the economy, with the Philadelphia Fed survey of business activity still to come.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 22.42 points, or 0.17 percent, at 13,187.20. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 2.82 points, or 0.20 percent, at 1,408.35. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 9.52 points, or 0.31 percent, at 3,040.45.