U.S. stocks opened higher Thursday as investors held out hope for a last-ditch deal on another round of coronavirus fiscal aid. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.12% gained 177 points, 0.6%, to open near 27,958, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.52% was up 26 points or 0.8% to 3,389.
The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +1.42% popped 1.1%, 123 points, and traded near 11,291. The White House and House Democrats have both signaled that each wants to make a deal, if at all possible, but both have reiterated that they remain far apart on many of the details. Meanwhile, furloughs begin today for tens of thousands of airline employees. Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. jumped after the bell after the home-goods retailer reported earnings that beat Wall Street expectations.