Wall Street opens higher on stimulus hopes

Reuters
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, November 4, 2013. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday after comments from a Federal Reserve official suggested the central bank may hold back on slowing its stimulus for longer than currently anticipated. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 48.00 points, or 0.31 percent, at 15,666.22. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 5.08 points, or 0.29 percent, at 1,768.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 13.93 points, or 0.35 percent, at 3,953.80. (Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Bernadette Baum)