US stocks opened higher on Wednesday after data showed private sector hiring in July rose the least since April, increasing the chances of the U.S. Federal Reserve holding back on a rate hike until December.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 6.89 points, or 0.04 percent, to 17,557.58, the S&P 500 gained 8.02 points, or 0.38 percent, to 2,101.34 and the Nasdaq composite added 27.75 points, or 0.54 percent, to 5,133.29.