U.S. Stocks Edge Higher; McDonald's, Coke Both Jump

U.S. stocks rose at the open Wednesday, helped by Dow components McDonald's and Coca-Cola posting adjusted quarterly profit that topped expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was last up 32 points, or 0.2%, to 17,982, with McDonald's rising 3% and Coke shares gaining 1.4%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 advanced by 3 points, or 0.2%, to 2,100, and the Nasdaq Composite tacked on 11 points, or 0.2%, to 5,025. At 10 a.m. Eastern, the National Association of Realtors will release figures on sales of existing homes in March, with economists polled by MarketWatch expecting a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.08 million.