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U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday after better-than-expected retail sales data, the latest sign that a recovery in the U.S. economy was gaining momentum.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 30.03 points, or 0.17 percent, to 18,030.43, the S&P 500 gained 3.44 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,108.64 and the Nasdaq Composite added 11.17 points, or 0.22 percent, to 5,087.86.
