Stocks Head Higher on Job Data

Stocks headed slightly higher at the open, as commodities rallied and investors cheered better-than-expected jobless claims numbers. The Dow rose 31 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq were up 0.9% and 0.8% respectively. Initial jobless claims fell 12,000 last week, though the four-week moving average rose again, hitting its highest level since October 1982. Gold futures, meanwhile, leapt by nearly $60 an ounce, and oil rose above $51 a barrel as the dollar weakened. (More stock market stories.)