US Stocks Gain in Opening Trading

U.S. stock prices rose at the start of trading Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up one-tenth of one percent. The S&P 500 gained four-tenths of a percent, and the NASDAQ rose three-tenths of one percent.

European stocks were higher in afternoon trading. London's Financial Times index gained seven-tenths of one percent. The CAC-40 in Paris rose more than one-tenth of one percent, and the DAX in Frankfurt rose more than one-half of one percent.

Earlier in Asia, Tokyo's Nikkei index dropped 177 points (or 1.3 percent) to finish at 13,286. It finished on the negative side for the 10th consecutive day, the longest losing streak for the Nikkei since 1965. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong declined 398 points, (1.8 percent) to finish at 21,704.

The price of gold fell more than $3, to trade at $935. 27 an ounce.

The dollar is higher against the yen, but has lost value compared to the euro.