MW: U.S. stocks edge up at the open after housing data
By Victor Reklaitis
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks advanced modestly at the open on Wednesday, helped by encouraging housing data and ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on whether to taper stimulus measures. The S&P 500 was last up 2 points, or 0.1%, to 1,783, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 40 points, or nearly 0.3%, to 15,915. The Nasdaq Composite moved up 3 points, or 0.1%, to 4,027. Before the open, the government said housing starts jumped last month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.09 million, beating forecasts for 963,000. The Fed decision is due at 2 p.m. Eastern time, and most fund managers don’t expect a taper . On Tuesday, the S&P 500 lost ground, falling for the fifth time in six sessions.
