NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday, lifted by reports of progress on a bailout of the U.S. auto industry. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 82 points, or 1%, at 8,773, with 27 of its 30 components opening higher. Shares of General Motors Corp. gained 3% to $4.85. Leading the gains on the blue-chip average, shares of aluminum giant Alcoa Inc. were up 6%. The S&P 500 index was up 7 points, or 0.8%, at 896, while the Nasdaq Composite was up 9 points, or 0.7%, at 1,557.
