Stocks open a bit higher on Wall Street, still down for year

The Associated Press

Stocks are opening modestly higher on Wall Street, potentially setting the S&P 500 up for a third gain in a row after what has been a weak start to the year. The benchmark index was up 0.3% in the early going Thursday. It’s still down slightly since the beginning of the year. Technology stocks were doing better than the rest of the market, and the Nasdaq was up 0.4%. Small-company stocks were also doing well. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3%. Crude oil prices were little changed and Treasury yields were holding steady. Overseas markets were mixed.